Dhaka: The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Government of Bangladesh on Monday signed a loan agreement for $185 million for improving the secondary education system.

The assistance is the second tranche of the $500 million Secondary Education Sector Investment Program (SESIP) approved by ADB in 2013, says a UNB report.

Economic Relations Division (ERD) Joint Secretary Saifuddin Ahmed and Kazuhiko Higuchi, Country Director, Bangladesh Resident Mission of ADB, signed the agreement on behalf of Bangladesh and ADB respectively at a ceremony at ERD in the capital's Sher-e-Bangla Nagar.

‘Bangladesh is aiming for higher growth path toward upper middle income level and beyond. Young people with technical skills will form foundation for this goal,’ said Kazuhiko Higuchi.

The SESIP, scheduled to be completed in 2023, is supporting the Government of Bangladesh's 10-year secondary education reform plan. This plan projects an increase of about 3.5 million students by 2023, requiring an additional 145,000 teachers and 10,000 more schools.

The $185 million ADB assistance under the second tranche of the SESIP will support teachers' training in science and ICT; introduction of pre-vocational and vocational subjects; and introducing a resource teacher program for student counselling.