Embracing Multilingual Pedagogy: Insights from the School Education Conference 2025
A joint conference between government, civil society and universities is always good for cross fertilisation. The British Council focused the yearly School Education Conference this year on multilingual pedagogy and practice in school education. At these conferences a significant number of teachers attend: a good way to interact with the multilingual classroom realities!
The School Education Conference 2025, held on February 4, 2025, in collaboration between the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) and the British Council, was a pivotal event focusing on "Enhancing Multilingual Pedagogy and Practice in the Classroom." The conference aligned with India's National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and the National Curriculum Framework for School Education (NCF-SE), emphasizing the transformative role of multilingual education in fostering inclusive and effective learning environments.
Conference Highlights:
Theme: The central theme revolved around integrating multilingual pedagogy into classrooms, with a sub-theme focusing on innovative pedagogy and curriculum design. Discussions underscored how embracing students' linguistic identities can enhance academic success and promote empathy and respect for diverse cultures.
Programme: The event featured panel discussions on topics such as innovative pedagogy, teacher preparedness, and the dynamics of multilingual classrooms. Workshops addressed leadership in education, innovative language teaching practices, and strategies for fostering inclusion. Plenary sessions delved into the needs of multilingual learners (Dhir Jinghran) and the challenges associated with multilingual assessment.
Workshops: Notable sessions included:
Leadership and Professional Development in Education by Dr. Harry Kuchah, Associate Professor of Language, Social Justice, and Education at the University of Birmingham.
Innovative Practices in Language Teaching by Prof. Dr. Jacopo Torregrossa, Professor of Multilingualism and Second Language Acquisition at Goethe University Frankfurt.
Inclusion in the Classroom by Priya Iyer, Senior Academic Manager at the British Council. (britishcouncil.in)
The conference served as a platform for educators, policymakers, linguists, and pedagogical experts to share best practices, explore innovative approaches, and collaborate on educational reforms. By focusing on multilingual education, the event highlighted the importance of creating learning environments that recognize and celebrate India's linguistic diversity, ultimately aiming to enhance cognitive development and foster an inclusive society.
A conference like this moves at the intersection of multilingual pedagogy, innovative teaching practices, and competency-based assessments. It highlights the need for ongoing dialogue between educators, linguists, policymakers, and researchers. Cross-fertilization between these disciplines is essential for developing strategies that are not only theoretically sound but also practical and impactful in diverse learning environments.
With International Mother Language Day approaching this month, it is the perfect time to reflect on the importance of linguistic diversity in education. Stay tuned for a special blog post that will explore this theme further and discuss how multilingual education can be a driving force for inclusivity and cultural understanding.
Regards,
Karsten, in collaboration with Upasana Lepcha
Resources:
Photo Courtesy: School Education Conference 2025 | British Council