Bangladesh: MFF - Secondary Education Sector Investment Program (Facility Concept)

The government acknowledges the need to develop a long-term strategy to meet demand for higher quality and more relevant secondary education. The Ministry of Education (MOE) has developed, with support from the Asian Development Bank (ADB), a NEP implementation strategy for secondary education that draws on extensive stakeholder consultation._It has built upon the NEP implementation strategy to develop a 10-year secondary education sector road map, 20132023, which adopts the phased implementation of reforms to modernize curriculum, examinations, and teacher development, as well as to establish and apply common quality standards for secondary schools and teachers. Extensive investment in ICT-based teaching facilities, science laboratories and equipment, other learning materials, and teacher training will support these reforms. The road map further plans to intensify gender-equitable and pro-poor stipend programs using improved methodology. It suggests expanding school infrastructure according to need and recruiting better-qualified teachers with revised selection procedures. Institutional reform to decentralized education management will redefine and strengthen the roles and responsibilities of field offices and school management committees. Extensive capacity development in management at the center and in the field will strengthen performance monitoring and the efficient use of resources. The government projects an additional 3.5 million secondary school students by 2023, to be accommodated by expanding teacher ranks by 145,000 and the number of schools by 10,000. Success in implementing reform will help meet parents' and beneficiaries' aspirations for post-primary education that undergirds a better life and higher income prospects.

Increased employability of secondary education graduates.

A more efficient and equitable and higher-quality secondary education system.

Enhanced quality and relevance of secondary education

More equitable access and better retention

Strengthened secondary education management and governance

For the implementation of the revised curriculum, the scheme Improving Quality and Relevance of Curriculum has been prepared by NCTB and remains yet to be approved.

The Framework for NASS 2019 for English, Bangla, and Mathematics for Grades 6, 8 and 10 was approved by the MoE on 29 December 2019. NASS 2019 was conducted and final reports were prepared. New subject (science) is to be included in NASS 2021.

The scheme Strengthening Teachers Quality & Establishment of Teacher Education Centers has been prepared and remains yet to be approved.

Teachers Time-Spent-Teaching (TST) guidelines were approved by MOE in 2019. The scheme TST was approved in 2020. Officers need to be appointed and consulting firm to be engaged for implementation.

710 ICT Learning Centers (ILCs) which introduced e-learning have become functional under Tranches 1 and 2.

Pre-vocational and Vocational Implementation Plan (PVIP), including ten trades, was approved by SHED, MoE under Tranche 2. Pre-vocational and vocational program started in 640 selected schools [school: 548 (girls' school 5) and madrasah: 92] from January 2020. For the implementation of PVIP program in secondary level institutions, the scheme Vocational and Technical Education has been prepared and remains yet to be approved.

A draft policy guideline on minimum standard of school building construction to improve learning environment and gender-responsiveness has been prepared and remains yet to be approved by SHED, MoE.

Under the harmonized stipend scheme, 2,494,405 beneficiaries (male: 904,754 and female: 1,589,651) have been provided stipend amounting BDT 1,228.64 crore for 250 SEQAEP upaziila (from 2017 to 2019) and all other upazillas up to June 2020 except grades XI-XII.

Management of MPO was decentralized from DSHE to all nine Zonal Education Offices in June 2015 under Tranche 1. MPO implementation guidelines and MPO rationalization plans for technical education and madrasa, and for schools and colleges have been approved and published. The scheme Strengthening Decentralized Education Management, Governance, M&E System and MPO Rationalization needs to be prepared based on the approved MPO Rationalization Plans by deploying a short term consultant.

Annual Secondary Education Performance Report with improved indicators and sex-disaggregated data were published in 2017 and 2018. Draft report for 2019 was prepared but remains yet to be finalized due to COVID-19.

The scheme Strengthening Procurement and Fiduciary Management has been prepared and remains yet to be approved.

The government will carry out all procurement of goods, works, and consulting services. Goods and civil works will be procured in accordance with ADBs Procurement Guidelines (2012, as amended from time to time). Goods and works valued more than $1 million and $2 million respectively will be procured using International Competitive Bidding and ADBs standard bidding documents, and subject to prior review. Goods and civil works valued below the respective International Competitive Bidding threshold will be procured using the National Competitive Bidding (NCB), in accordance with the governments Public Procurement Act (2006) and Public Procurement Rules (2008) subject to modifications agreed between the government and ADB as set out in the Facility Administration Manual (FAM) and procurement plan. For efficiency and economy, small civil works can be grouped together into larger bid packages, wherever feasible.

Advance contracting and retroactive financing will be considered.