International Network for Development

multilingual education

Multilingual Education Project

In minority language groups, such as in the tribal areas of India, it is essential that the language in which education is conducted is given proper attention. Thus Dr Pamela MacKenzie along with the Universities in Hyderabad and members of SIL, devised a primary education programme using the Mother Tongues of the tribal groups, which gradually added the State and National languages.

INfD has been involved in the development of multilingual education projects for eight tribal groups in Andhra Pradesh, for ten tribal groups in Orissa and for seven groups in Chhattisgarh.   Other states in India with high tribal populations, such as Assam and Jarkhand, may also develop such programmes.

The Government of AP was the first to agree to take this project on, with INfD, linguists from the Universities in Hyderabad, and local and international NGOs working in collaboration with them. So far

• orthographies in 8 tribal languages have been developed with the support of the linguistic departments of the universities in Hyderabad
• a curriculum, using the mother tongue and based on the local culture for grades 1-3 have been developed.  Grade 1 includes an alphabet book, a maths book and weekly themes, with locally developed reading materials.  Grade 2 has textbooks and supplementary reading materials are in the process of being developed, so that there is a move away from textbook focus and on to real contextualised materials
• the 1st and 2nd grade curriculum have been piloted, reviewed, revised and the programme evaluated
• 3rd grade is being introduced this year
• the  pilot programme is being upgraded into all single language schools
• Dictionaries in the eight languages have been completed by linguists and the government, with the help of local communities and mother tongue teachers.

What needs to be done?

• Tribal resource and training centres need to be established which will become the hub for language development, culture and education in the tribal regions
• literature development: tribal stories and cultural activities are in the process of being documented and re-written for schools and communities with the help of local NGOs
• extensive training in new teaching methods and in second language learning processes and methods.

Expansion in India: This work is now expanding into other states:

• INfD has been asked by state and central government and by NGOs to support the work in Orissa and Chhattisgarh.
• INfD has been working in partnership with international agencies as well as with local non government organisations, particularly in Orissa and Chhattisgarh, on developing this programme nationally. 

• In February 2008, Jawarhal Nehru Univerity in Delhi, held an international consultation on multilingual education in India funded by UNICEF and Save the Children supported by government institutions such as NCERT (National Council for Education, Research and Training) and CIIL (Central Institute of Indian Languages).  This conference brought the issues of language to a central place in the educational debate in India; a very exciting development for the languages and cultures of India, but a long road of development for all those languages and cultures which continue to be ignored by the education system.  A book has since been published: Language and Social Justice (Pub: Black Swan, India)

UNESCO and UNICEF are playing a vital role in supporting MLE at high levels of government and are planning to give support in some states.  In Orissa, the Bernard van Leer Foundation are supporting the development of a preschool programme alongside the primary MLE programme, ensuring that the needs of children are met by learning through their mother tongues in quality education programmes.

A video for promoting MLE in India has just been released by UNESCO and wherever this has been used it has been well received and helpful. 

Koya children enjoying singing songs in their own language

Regional developments: working in neighbouring countries

INfD has played a pivotal role in the development of the UNDP MLE programme in the Chittagong Hills in Bangladesh during 2008-9, with Save the Children, and SIL Bangladesh.  Eight language groups are involved in this programme, and the first year preschool is now operational.

INfD was invited to be part of a team to raise the awareness in Thailand of the issues of mother tongue education of their minority language groups.  This was a two day conference and discussion run by the Royal Institute in Bangkok.

Pamela also represented INfD in Nepal recently at the report of a pilot programme funded by the Finnish Government, and at the same time she was a speaker at a National Symposium on Multilingual Education hosted by the government, the university, UNESCO and SIL.

INfD also took part in the consultation on education for minority groups in Geneva in December 2008 along with Save the Children UK.  The Commission incorporated the majority of recommendations made by INfD and SCUK.

Going global: multilingual education is now on the agenda of global agencies as they look to reach the remaining children under the Education For All programme as more than half the children out of school are from ethnic minority language groups.  Along SIL and other NGOs, Pamela helped to convene MLE interest groups this year in Washington, New York and London to advocate for the use of mother tongue and local culture in multilingual education programmes for marginalised groups.

INfD with the help of the Pioneer People Trust, SIL, Save the Children and the Independent Evaluation Group of the World Bank, put on a Side Event at the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues at the UN in New York on May 2007.  All the feed back regarding the need for mother tongue education from participants, and even from some who heard about it afterwards, has been positive.  A global discussion on this issue is obviously required and with 2008 being the year of language for both UNESCO and PFII this dialogue should continue.   

Pamela has also been involved in discussions with global NGOs and other institutions in New York and Washington over the past 6 months.  This has led to MLE interest groups being established in Washington, New York, London and Niarobi to advocate for the mother tongue education among the global players, including the World Bank, USAID, UN and regional government agencies (SAMEO, SAARC, ADEA).

The issues have been raised at several conferences including the Annual meeting of the American Anthropological Association and the Comparative and International Education Societies of America.