The World Bank approved on Monday a subsidy of $ 47.9 million to improve primary education in Punjab, saying that the project will expand early childhood education, will register children again from school and strengthen the support of teachers.
The measure occurred more than a month after the Higher Education Commission (HEC) and the World Bank teams carried out mission 12 and final to review and evaluate progress against the objectives established under the development of higher education in Pakistan (HEDP).
“The World Bank has approved a subsidy of US $ 47.9 million, financed by the global fund of the Association for Education, to help improve the participation of girls and boys at pre-prime and primary levels in the province of Punjab in Pakistan,” said the organization in a press release on August 23, shared in social networks today.
According to the press release, the Grades-Balochistan project will also improve the response capacity of the education sector to climate change and emergencies.
Among the four million children that the project aims to benefit 80,000 children outside the school, more than 3M in schools in the Department of School Education (SED), 850,000 in the non -formal sector and 140,000 children of special education in schools in Department of Special Education (Sped), he said.
The World Bank added that more than 100,000 teachers and school leaders, as well as parents and members of the community, would benefit through professional development and awareness campaigns.
“The project is aligned with the broader educational reform agenda of the Punjab Government, which seeks to create a more effective, responsible and inclusive educational system,” said Izza Farrakh, leader of the World Bank Task team for the project, according to the statement. “He will support government efforts to improve governance, management and capacity in the education sector.”
Bolormaa Amgaabazar, Country Director of the World Bank for Pakistan, described the project as a “crucial step to address poverty learning and guarantee equitable access to quality education between Punjab”.
The statement added that the project was addressed to those populations that were more vulnerable, in line with the objectives of the group to eliminate extreme poverty and the promotion of “shared prosperity” and the framework of its country association (CPF) with Pakistan.
He stressed that Pakistan had been a member of the World Bank since 1950 and that from this moment, the World Bank had provided more than $ 48.3 billion to the country in assistance.
The International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, had invested approximately $ 13 billion in Pakistan since 1956, he added. The projects that financed support renewable energy, financial inclusion, infrastructure, medical care and agribusiness, among others.
The current portfolio has 54 projects and a total commitment of $ 15.7 billion.
In June, the World Bank had approved $ 100 million for the project “Obtain results: access and delivery of quality education services in Baluchistan” (Grades-Falochistán), which aimed to benefit around 250,000 students by increasing registration and improving literacy.
