World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors has approved $150 million for a project aimed at increasing the participation rates of both girls and boys in pre-primary and primary grades in Punjab, as well as enhancing reading proficiency in primary grades.
The project, named “Getting Results: Access and Delivery of Quality Education Services in Punjab Project (GRADES),” focuses on improving learning outcomes, recovering from COVID-19-related learning losses, strengthening school management, and increasing school participation. This initiative aims to boost school completion rates and ensure better learning outcomes for both genders.
The GRADES project is expected to benefit around five million children, 7,000 head teachers, 165,000 teachers, and over 3,000 teacher mentors in public schools and Punjab Education Foundation schools.
Najy Benhassine, World Bank Country Director for Pakistan, highlighted the critical need for this project, noting that Punjab has over seven million out-of-school children. The GRADES project will help significantly reduce this number while improving foundational learning outcomes for those already in school. This will be achieved through public-private partnerships, enhanced school preparedness, improved teaching and learning materials, and better school environments.
In addition to the GRADES project, the World Bank has also approved an additional $1 billion for the Dasu Hydropower Project.
Given Pakistan’s susceptibility to climate shocks, the GRADES project will incorporate climate-resilient measures to mitigate natural disaster impacts. This includes constructing approximately 5,400 climate-smart classrooms in primary schools, with features such as raised plinths and reflective roofs. The project will prioritize rebuilding schools damaged by the 2022 floods, particularly girls’ schools, overcrowded schools, and schools in areas with high numbers of out-of-school children.
To ensure inclusivity, the project will also enhance disability inclusion by making school infrastructure more accessible and integrating inclusive education principles into teacher coaching.
Izza Farrakh, Task Team Leader for the Project, emphasized the longstanding collaboration between the World Bank and the government of Punjab on education reform. The GRADES project will leverage this partnership to introduce innovations like climate-resilient classrooms and climate change education in the curriculum, helping to create a safe and conducive learning environment and preparing the next generation to be more resilient to climate shocks and natural disasters.
