UK donates $34.7m for quality education of disadvantaged Bangladeshi children

The United Kingdom (UK) government recently contributed $34.7 million to Unicef through the British High Commission in Dhaka to provide access to quality education for the most disadvantaged and out-of-school children in Bangladesh.

"Bangladesh has made significant progress towards ensuring education for every child. But persistent and complex challenges remain when it comes to equitable access and the quality of education," Unicef Representative to Bangladesh Sheldon Yett said, read a press release. 

"The contribution by the UK Government will boost Unicef's joint work with the Government of Bangladesh and partners to address these challenges, and to especially support disadvantaged students whose education has been disrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic," he added.  

The partnership with the UK government focuses on education for out-of-school children and will improve learning particularly for girls, children with disabilities and children from the most disadvantaged areas.

It also places emphasis on improving enrolment, retention and completion rates in primary and secondary education. Throughout, Unicef will continue to work closely with the Government of Bangladesh and key stakeholders, not least, children and their parents. The partnership will bring significant change to the lives of the children who need it the most, and will help to strengthen the education system for all, the press release added. 

"The UK has committed to stand up for the right of all girls to 12 years of quality education. We are delighted to be partnering with Unicef and BRAC and working closely with the Government of Bangladesh to improve student learning, support adolescent girls to stay in school, and enable the most marginalized children to access quality education," said British High Commissioner to Bangladesh Robert Chatterton Dickson.

The UK government funding will support Unicef to implement the partnership from 2021 to 2028.