The New Nation - Internet Edition

UNB,Dhaka

Secondary Education Access and Quality Enhancement Project (SEAQEP), a World Bank supported project, will be implemented with a view to provide stipends to both poorer boys and girls in secondary education.

A high level Task Force and a Project Preparation Team of the Government are working on the preparation based on inputs from consultation with stakeholders.

The proposed SEAQEP will be implemented in 121 upazilas from early July 2008, said a press release of World Bank.

Although a follow-up to the second Female Secondary School Assistance Project 73230&theSitePK=40941&menuPK=295792&Projectid=P044876> (FSSAP II) of the Government which ends on 30 June 2008, the SEAQEP would include a number of new dimensions.

It aims to provide targeted support to the poorer girls and boys; improve academic performance through incentive awards to students, schools and teachers; extend additional support to teachers and students in teaching and learning; provide water and sanitation facilities to retain girls in school and develop an effective monitoring and evaluation system.

FSSAP II has already helped more than eight hundred thousand girls with stipends that improved SSC pass rates for stipend girls from 39% in 2001 to 60% in 2007.

A training program has reached 19,000 stakeholders, largely from the communities, while some 6000 institutions were brought under school management and accountability training program.

The Mobile Training Resource Teams (MTRTs) pilot project has shown positive results. A Family Attractiveness Program to identify out-of-secondary-school girls from very poor families living in remote and economically disadvantaged areas has been introduced under this program.