British High Commissioner to Bangladesh Sarah Cook visited Sylhet for the first time since assuming office on Wednesday (August 23) and visited BRAC School next to the Lakkatura Tea Estate.

The High Commissioner was accompanied by officials from the British High Commission during the visit. Safi Rahman Khan, Director of Education, Skills Development and Migration; Prafulla Chandra Barman, Programme Head of BRAC Education Programme; and BRAC Head Office and field staff were present, a press release said.

The British High Commissioner observed classes at BRAC School and spoke to students about their experiences and feelings of returning to school.

Sarah Cook also greeted teachers, staff, parents and members of the school management committee and discussed the ongoing activities of the school.

Regarding the visit, she said, “It was great to meet the students and their parents working in the tea gardens of Sylhet. It is clear that education is not only transformative for the individual, but also for the community. The UK is proud to support education for the most disadvantaged children in Bangladesh, especially girls.”

Meanwhile, Safi Rahman Khan conveyed her greetings to the British Ambassador, saying, “We are honoured to welcome Sarah Cook to BRAC’s education programme in the tea gardens of Sylhet to see first-hand the important work we are doing in partnership with the British Government.

“We all have a responsibility in education to ensure that children living in poverty, especially girls and children with disabilities, are not denied their right to education.” Our Accelerated Schools are already delivering significant benefits, and Cook’s visit will inspire and motivate our students, teachers, parents and staff.”



Due to the unprecedented outbreak of COVID-19, all schools in Bangladesh were forced to close for 18 months, bringing traditional classroom teaching and learning to a standstill. The prolonged closures have caused significant losses to children’s education, putting them at risk of dropping out and further increasing the number of out-of-school children (OoSC).

With support from the UK Government, the BRAC Education Programme (BEP) “Educate the Most Disadvantaged Children in Bangladesh (EMDC)” project is providing accelerated primary education to OoSCs in disadvantaged communities. The project’s accelerated model includes a 4-month catch-up component (bridge course) to help students catch up on their previous education. This is followed by a 6-month accelerated course with grade-specific learning, after which students move to formal schools in the next grade.

The EMDC project is now in its second year, with over 16,000 students from 650 BRAC schools having already completed the accelerated course. In addition, 12,500 students are currently enrolled in 500 other BRAC schools. It is estimated that over the life of the project, a total of 147,500 OOSCs will receive accelerated model education for 10 months through approximately 5,900 one-room schools.