BSS-10 WB to give $25m for Rohingya children’s education

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BSS-10

WB-ROHINGYA

WB to give $25m for Rohingya children’s education

DHAKA, Sept 21, 2018 (BSS) – The World Bank (WB) has approved US$25
million, including $4 million from Canada, to help Bangladesh provide
education and support to heal the psychological wounds of Rohingya children
and youth who have fled violence in Myanmar.

The second in a series to help Bangladesh deal with the crisis, the
additional financing on grant terms expands an existing World Bank project to
help about 350,000 Rohingya children and adolescents get basic education in
learning centers, said a press release here today.

The existing ‘Reaching Out of School Children Project II (ROSC II)’ project
is also being extended for two years, which will enable the enrollment of
poor children in the host communities in Cox’s Bazar, which has the lowest
net education enrollment rate in the country.

The project extension will help provide training to more than 17,000 local
adolescents and help them with job placement.

World Bank Country Director for Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Nepal Qimiao Fan
said “Bangladesh has done a great service to the world by sheltering nearly a
million Rohingya people, most of whom are women and children.

He said, “Many of these children were exposed to psychological trauma,
torture and violence. Without learning life skills and basic education, they
can become a lost generation.”

The WB official said, “In addition to providing access to learning
opportunities, the grant financing will support psycho-social activities to
help Rohingya children recover from shocks and prevent exploitation.”

“The grant will especially focus on girl children-who are often victims of
gender-based violence-so they receive education in a safe environment,” he
added.

World Bank Team Leader for ROSC II project Syed Rashed Al Zayed said “While
the financing will address the immediate education needs of the Rohingya
children and adolescents, it will also help strengthen the government’s
service delivery system in Cox’s Bazar.”

“All learning activities, including preparation of text books and learning
materials will adhere to the government’s ‘Learning Competency Framework’
that would define informal education for the Rohingya children,” he added.

The financing, part of up to $480 million announced by the World Bank in
June, will help establish 1,000 new learning centers and support about 500
existing learning centers in the camp areas.

In addition, about 2,000 teachers and instructors will be recruited and
trained in about 100 teachers’ training facilities.

Adolescent girls in camps face risks of abuse, abduction, and early
marriage. More than half of the teachers will be female, who will be trained
to help the girl children and adolescents to manage safety concerns and if
needed, guide them to safe locations.

Further, the financing will help raise awareness among Rohingya children
about their rights, gender violence, and personal safety.

Through an innovative World Bank financing instrument for refugees and host
communities, for every dollar contributed by Canada, five additional grant
dollars will be unlocked for a total of $25 million in new financing.

ROSCII has since 2013 enabled more than 750,000 children, who had dropped
out from school, to complete their primary education.

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