Primary Education Finance for Equity and Quality

Bangladesh’s recurrent public spending in primary education has been largely pro-poor. Despite good results in improving access to primary education, Bangladesh’s pro-poor spending has not translated into better overall education outcomes, and inequities continue to exist. Bangladesh needs to expand and deepen its pro-poor policies for providing a high-quality primary education to all children, in particular to those in poor upazilas. This paper focuses on the state of primary education and the extent to which poor and marginalized children face equal education opportunities. The paper examines the multiple inequities children face across regions in Bangladesh, how educational resources are currently distributed and how resources could be targeted more effectively to reduce inequities.