Fifth Primary Education Development Program to begin in July: Prime Minister in Parliament

PNN News Desk, Dhaka

The government is set to launch the five-year “Fifth Primary Education Development Program” starting from July 1. Under this program, there are plans to provide English language training to the remaining primary school teachers across the country, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman said.

He shared this information on Wednesday (April 15) during the question-and-answer session in the National Parliament. The session was chaired by Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed. Member of Parliament from Chattogram-7, Hummam Qader Chowdhury, raised a question regarding English training for primary school teachers.

The Prime Minister stated that there are currently around 376,000 primary school teachers in the country. Among them, approximately 130,000 teachers have already received English training under the “Fourth Primary Education Development Program.” The new program aims to bring the remaining teachers under this training.

He added that, in line with the government’s electoral commitments, various steps are being taken to improve the quality of primary education and enhance teachers’ skills, and this program is part of those efforts.

At the same time, the Prime Minister also spoke about the development of the country’s blue economy. He said that the government is working on Maritime Spatial Planning (MSP) activities to ensure sustainable use of marine resources. If necessary, there are plans to establish an institutional framework in this sector within the 2026–27 fiscal year.

In response to a supplementary question regarding recruitment policies in private schools, he said that since these institutions are autonomous, recruitment is their own responsibility. However, if specific proposals are submitted, the government will consider them.