4.5 lakh pry students to get free uniforms by July

The government is working to distribute free school uniforms to at least 4.5 lakh primary school students by July, Education and Primary and Mass Education Minister Dr. A N M Ehsanul Hoque Milon said on Sunday.

The minister said free school dresses will be provided to 450,000 primary students within July, adding that a mid-day meal programme for all primary school students will be introduced soon.

He made the announcement while addressing a validation workshop on “Bangladesh Education Sector Analysis (ESA) 2026” organised by UNICEF at a hotel in the capital.

He said the government is working to address existing challenges in the education sector with the aim of making learning more enjoyable and student-friendly.

“We are sincerely working to resolve all existing problems in the education sector to make education more enjoyable,” he said.

Officials said the initiatives are part of broader efforts to improve access to education and student welfare at the primary level.

“We want students to grow up as responsible citizens with moral values from the primary level. To achieve this goal, various important subjects, including sports, culture, morality and religious values, have been incorporated into the primary curriculum,” he said.

Stressing the need of turning the vast population of the country into skilled human resources, he said, “demographic dividend” should be considered in creating a skilled workforce.

State Minister for Primary and Mass Education Bobby Hajjaj, Secretary of the Technical and Madrasa Education Division Md. Daud Mia and Executive Director of Campaign for Popular Education (CAMPE) Rasheda K Chowdhury attended the workshop as special guests.

UNICEF Bangladesh Representative Rana Flowers, British High Commission Development Director Martin Dawson and Minister Counsellor Mikele Kreza of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office at the European Union Delegation to Bangladesh also spoke as special guests.

Senior officials from government and non-government education-related institutions and representatives of development partners were present at the workshop.