Legacies and Lessons from two decades of Bangladesh Primary Education Programmes

Abstract

Legacies and Lessons from two decades of Bangladesh Primary Education Programmes Chowdhury Mufad Ahmed, Mike Douse Abstract The numbers of children involved, and the amount of funds applied, place Bangladesh’s successive Primary Education Development Programmes amongst the world’s most significant donor-supported interventions. This paper explores how the four PEDPs, each incorporating lessons learned from its predecessor, have evolved from the initial ‘Twenty-seven projects in search of a Programme’ situation through to the well-organised and determined approach to the ‘middle-income country by 2021’ current destination. Based upon that exploration, particular attention is given to specific issues such as enhancing relationships between Development Partners and Government, achieving efficacious financing modalities, factors associated with effective Sector-Wide Approaches, making best use of experts, the second-phase gender challenge, pre-primary provision and purpose, the overloaded and under-motivated teacher, double shifts and inclusive education in a fluctuating environment. The paper concludes by tentatively suggesting some implications of Bangladesh’s four PEDPs for more general considerations of Education and Development. Full Text: PDF DOI: 10.15640/jehd.v8n2a12