EU approves €50 million additional grant for Bangladesh’s primary education

The European Commission has announced additional grants for primary education in Bangladesh.

A EU delegation in Dhaka said the approval of an € 50 million grant made the bloc the second largest provider of such aid to the ‘Third Primary Education Development Programme (PEDP 3)’.

Primary education is a “priority” area of the EU’s involvement in Bangladesh, it added.

It also said it was committed to back reforms and the realisation of the National Education Policy 2010 by working with the government and civil society.

“Education is one of the strong pillars for development and primary education lays the foundation of it,” EU Ambassador Pierre Mayaudon was quoted as saying in a statement. 

Bangladesh was making impressive strides towards providing access to education, he said.

“However, more concerted efforts of all the partners is required to implement the National Education Policy and ensure high quality basic education for all, leaving no single child behind,” he added.

The EU noted that there was room for improvement.

The new Sustainable Development Goals offered an effective framework for future action in the education sector, it felt.

The EU also stressed it would continue and expand its collaboration with the government through the Budget Support mechanism.

“A robust policy dialogue will be one of the guarantees for the future intervention to provide maximum benefit to the youth,” it said.