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

Sovereign Project | 44213-015

The proposed investment program will support the government's reform of secondary education (grades 6-12) into a system that builds the foundation for a skilled labor force and prepares youths to meet the requirements of a rapidly developing economy. It will support advanced teaching and learning programs that use information and communication technology (ICT), as well as prevocational and vocational programs, teacher development, and examination reforms. It will promote gender-equitable and pro-poor stipends for students. It will help establish more decentralized and efficient allocation and use of resources, as well as strengthen sector performance monitoring. The investment program will build upon the ongoing Secondary Education Sector Development Program and the Second Teaching Quality Improvement Project. It will further benefit from the experience of the Third Primary Education Development Project, which uses disbursement-linked indicators (DLIs).

Project Name MFF - Secondary Education Sector Investment Program (Facility Concept)
Project Number 44213-015
Country / Economy Bangladesh
Project Status Active
Project Type / Modality of Assistance Grant
Loan
Source of Funding / Amount
MFF Facility Concept 0074-BAN: MFF - Secondary Education Sector Investment Program (Facility Concept)
Asian Development Fund US$ 500.00 million
MFF Facility Concept: MFF - Secondary Education Sector Investment Program (Facility Concept)
International Development Association US$ 250.00 million
Grant: MFF - Secondary Education Sector Investment Program (Facility Concept)
Korea International Cooperation Agency US$ 3.50 million
MFF Facility Concept: MFF - Secondary Education Sector Investment Program (Facility Concept)
Export-Import Bank of Korea US$ 76.02 million
Strategic Agendas Inclusive economic growth
Drivers of Change Gender Equity and Mainstreaming
Governance and capacity development
Sector / Subsector
Gender Gender equity
Description The proposed investment program will support the government's reform of secondary education (grades 6-12) into a system that builds the foundation for a skilled labor force and prepares youths to meet the requirements of a rapidly developing economy. It will support advanced teaching and learning programs that use information and communication technology (ICT), as well as prevocational and vocational programs, teacher development, and examination reforms. It will promote gender-equitable and pro-poor stipends for students. It will help establish more decentralized and efficient allocation and use of resources, as well as strengthen sector performance monitoring. The investment program will build upon the ongoing Secondary Education Sector Development Program and the Second Teaching Quality Improvement Project. It will further benefit from the experience of the Third Primary Education Development Project, which uses disbursement-linked indicators (DLIs). The investment program links disbursement to the achievement of key results. It will further support the transition to a sector-wide approach.
Project Rationale and Linkage to Country/Regional Strategy

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.

Impact

Increased employability of secondary education graduates.

Project Outcome
Description of Outcome

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

Progress Toward Outcome

Cycle completion rate for grades 6-10 increased from 46.4% (F:43.6%, Madrasah:51.6%) in 2011 to 64.24% (F:65.14%, Madrasah: 55.12%) in 2020.

Secondary School Certificate (SSC) students passing with A and A+ were 37.99% in 2020.

Percentage of higher secondary certificate students passing with A and A+ were 45.19% in 2020.

Implementation Progress
Description of Project Outputs

Enhanced quality and relevance of secondary education

More equitable access and better retention

Strengthened secondary education management and governance

Status of Implementation Progress (Outputs, Activities, and Issues)

National Curriculum Policy Framework was approved in 2017. The revision of grade 6 curriculum completed in 2021. The revised grade 6 curriculum was piloted in 2022 and will be implemented nationwide in 2023. The revised grade 7 curriculum is also planned for implementation in 2023. NASS 2019 report was published in 2021.

The framework for NASS 2021 was approved by MOE in 2022. NASS 2021 remains yet to be conducted.

ICT learning centers and e-learning modules were piloted at 710 secondary schools (615, of which were girls schools) and madrasas (95). The activities will be scaled up in 2022-2023.

640 secondary schools (548, of which 5 were girls schools) and madrasas (92) are being equipped for implementation of the vocational courses for grade 9-10 students since January 2020.

Education Institution Construction Policy Guidelines (which incorporate the Maintenance Policy for School Facilities) and the Guidelines for Minimum Construction Standards were prepared but remain yet to be approved by MOE.

The implementation of the harmonized stipend program started in 2021. Annually, about 4 million students benefit from monthly stipends and 30,000 secondary institutions receive tuition subvention.

TMED approved the MPO rationalization plan and MPO implementation guidelines for madrasas in November 2020, while SHED approved the MPO rationalization plan and MPO implementation guidelines for secondary schools and colleges in March 2021.

The Secondary Education Development Program was prepared and approved in 2018, adopting a sector-wide approach, and has been under implementation.

The DSHE Capacity Development Plan based on a systematic institutional assessment was submitted to SHED, MOE but remains yet to be approved.

Geographical Location
Summary of Environmental and Social Aspects
Environmental Aspects B
Involuntary Resettlement C
Indigenous Peoples B
Stakeholder Communication, Participation, and Consultation
During Project Design A large number of consultations, including local levels, were organized to prepare the program. This includes development of implementation strategy of the National Education Policy in secondary education. Stakeholders include policy makers, educational practitioners including teachers and members of school management committee, curriculum developers, etc, and nongovernmental organizations with strong ownership of the government (Ministry of Education and Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education). Consultations with development partners were also organized to develop Sector-Wide Approach (SWAp) Road Map.
During Project Implementation The program will work in partnership with multiple stakeholders such as civil society organizations (CSOs), school management committees, and parent-teacher associations. Community participation is vital to the community-based management of schools and the development of pro-poor stipend with appropriate gender targeting. The program will work on institutional reforms in key education institutions. In addition, based on the agreed SWAp Road Map, the program will promote harmonization of other development partners.
Business Opportunities
Consulting Services All consultants will be selected using ADBs Guidelines on the Use of Consultants (2013, as amended from time to time). Consulting firms will be recruited through Quality and Cost-Based Selection and Consultants Qualification Selection methods and subject to ADBs prior review.
Procurement

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.

Responsible ADB Officer Maruyama, Asako
Responsible ADB Department South Asia Department
Responsible ADB Division Human and Social Development Division, SARD
Timetable
Concept Clearance 28 Aug 2012
Fact Finding 03 Mar 2013 to 15 Mar 2013
MRM 06 Jun 2013
Approval 27 Sep 2013
Last Review Mission -
Last PDS Update 14 Dec 2022

MFF Facility Concept 0074-BAN

Financing Plan Loan Utilization
Total (Amount in US$ million) Date ADB Others Net Percentage
Project Cost 16,860.00 Cumulative Contract Awards
ADB 500.00 - 0.00 0.00 %
Counterpart 16,360.00 Cumulative Disbursements
Cofinancing 0.00 - 0.00 0.00 %

Project Data Sheets (PDS) contain summary information on the project or program. Because the PDS is a work in progress, some information may not be included in its initial version but will be added as it becomes available. Information about proposed projects is tentative and indicative.

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Safeguard Documents See also: Safeguards
Safeguard documents provided at the time of project/facility approval may also be found in the list of linked documents provided with the Report and Recommendation of the President.

Title Document Type Document Date
Secondary Education Sector Investment Program: Environmental Assessment and Review Framework Environmental Assessment and Review Framework Sep 2013
Secondary Education Sector Investment Program (Draft) Indigenous Peoples Planning Frameworks/Indigenous Peoples Development Frameworks Jun 2013
Secondary Education Sector Investment Program (Draft) Environmental Assessment and Review Framework Jun 2013
Secondary Education Sector Investment Program Resettlement Frameworks Jun 2013

Evaluation Documents See also: Independent Evaluation

None currently available.


Related Publications

Title Document Type Document Date
Bangladesh: Secondary Education Sector Investment Program Papers and Briefs May 2015

The Access to Information Policy (AIP) establishes the disclosure requirements for documents and information ADB produces or requires to be produced in its operations to facilitate stakeholder participation in ADB's decision-making. For more information, refer to the Safeguard Policy Statement, Operations Manual F1, and Operations Manual L3.

Requests for information may also be directed to the InfoUnit.

Tenders

No tenders for this project were found.

Contracts Awarded

No contracts awarded for this project were found

Procurement Plan

None currently available.