On Wednesday, 25th November, the World Bank and the Government of Pakistan signed a COVID-19 grant deal, which is worth 19.85 million. The main objective of this agreement is to boost the country’s education sector amidst the second wave of the deadly Corona Virus.
COVID-19 has spread like a storm in the entire world. The disease started off in Wuhan, China, and has now spread to almost all over the world. Various countries have been affected significantly by the virus, causing not only damages to the lives of people but also to the financial health of the country. The virus is inciting panic in people for a number of reasons. The major reason is that the virus is fatal to human health. Globally the confirmed cases of coronavirus are approximately 61 million. It has affected all sectors of the country, including education. The economic system of the country has been negatively affected as a result of COVID-19.
The COVID-19 agreement between the Government of Pakistan and the World Bank was signed by Noor Ahmed – Secretary Ministry of Economic Affairs. Whereas on behalf of the World Bank, the agreement was signed by Najy Benhassine. Moreover, Makhdoom Khusro Bakhtyar – Minister of Economic Affairs, was also present at the ceremony. The idea of the project is to boost the federal and provincial actions in the country’s education sector in order to be able to respond well to the COVID-19 crisis. The agreement between the Government of Pakistan and the World Bank pays attention to the vulnerable populations of the country and the areas which are at a disadvantage. Moreover, it has also laid the foundation for flexibility and strength in order to combat the forthcoming crisis.
The interventions of the project will assist the government of Pakistan in making sure that learning continues in the country with the help of distant learning while protecting the health and safety of students, faculty and workers. The project aims at expanding remote learning education, distribute learning materials in different areas, and execute proper standards for distant learning. Moreover, the aim of the agreement is to promote safe learning standards, safe, educational institutes, and better training and teaching facilities in the middle of this pandemic.
World Bank has provided assurance to Pakistan for its continuous support during the pandemic. Every step will be taken in order to combat the pandemic and overcome its consequences. The project especially focuses on continued learning for the students to make the education sector fulfil its objectives even during the pandemic.
