Primary Education
Quality Education for All Children (UNICEF’s role within Primary Education Development Program Phase II (PEDP-II)
Australia is supporting the Government of Bangladesh’s (GoB) Second Primary Education Development Program (PEDP II). It is a sub-sector-wide program funded by the GoB in partnership with 11 donors. The total financing of the PEDP-II is $1.8 billion over six years (2004 - 2009), comprising $1.1 billion (64%) from GoB and $654 million (36%) from the donor group. PEDP-II will be implemented in 64 districts covering more that 70,000 Government primary schools and Registered non-government primary schools located in 491 upazillas. PEDP-II will reach approximately 19 million children aged between 6-10 years and 165,000 teachers across the country. PEDP-II specifically aims at providing quality formal primary education to all eligible children in Bangladesh.
Australian support will be provided through UNICEF. UNICEF will work through a parallel funding mechanism with the GoB, to improve the quality of teachers’ skills and child-friendly learning. It will also work towards improving the access of the disadvantaged groups of children to quality primary education.
The First Primary Education Development Program (PEDP-I), comprising of 17 projects, has been succeeded by PEDP-II. The Intensive District Approach to Education for All (IDEAL) Project of PEDP-I, implemented by UNICEF and GoB, received Australian support from 1998- 2004 to improve the participation rates and quality of primary education.
• Contribution – A $12 million
• Duration – 2003/4 – 2008/9
• Partner(s): UNICEF, Government of Bangladesh