Multilingual Education and India

Languages matter: global guidance on multilingual education (UNESCO) In 1953, UNESCO published "The use of vernacular languages in education," a historical report advocating for the use of mother tongues in education. It was an influential document in promoting multilingual education. Over the years several other publications followed and this year a fresh report came out: Languages matter: Global guidance on multilingual education . It is good to note that in this report India is mentioned several times with positive examples. Let's hope that also this time the report will help to move us all a bit closer to the desired situation where children can learn in a  language they are comfortable with before transitioning to a dominant language. As this was the 25th anniversary of the International Mother Language Day (21st February, 2025), UNESCO released a report, Languages matter: Global guidance on multilingual education which expresses the urgent need to include multili...

The international mother language day usually triggers the publishing of multiple articles on language. This year there were also several relevant publications related to multilingual education . We picked 5 for you that might be of particular interest. The following articles highlight recent developments, offering valuable insights into multilingual education's role in enhancing student learning, cultural identity, and social inclusion. By examining these articles, we can understand the impact of these changes and how they align with the goals of UNESCO’s multilingual education guidelines. The combination of policy developments, local movements, and scholarly perspectives makes this an important time for MLE advocates to continue pushing for greater linguistic inclusivity in education systems. 1. UNESCO's Global Guidance on Multilingual Education: A Valuable Resource A new UNESCO publication on multilingual education came out on International Mother Language day "Languag...

Congratulations on International Literacy Day! This year the focus was on multilingual education and therefore deserves a blog post! Both Cameroon and India have a lot of linguistic diversity. UNESCO chose Cameroon to celebrate and here in India it will be good to take note of what the government said. As a national MLE consortium we also made a brief video to get the perspective of civil society organisations. International Literacy Day (ILD) has been observed  since 1967 on the 8th of September. This day highlights the importance of literacy as a fundamental human right and its role in empowering individuals and advancing societies. In 2024, the theme centres on "Multilingual Education," emphasising the significance of learning in one's mother tongue or multiple languages for inclusive and equitable quality education. This year's theme resonates strongly with the goal of fostering linguistic diversity and promoting literacy in marginalised communities, particularly ...