New Delhi, March 2: A recent UNESCO Global Education Monitoring (GEM) report has revealed that nearly 40 percent of the world's population lacks access to education in a language they speak or understand. The report, titled "Languages Matter: Global Guidance on Multilingual Education," was released on the 25th anniversary of International Mother Language Day, underscoring the urgent need to preserve and promote linguistic diversity in education.
Language Barriers Severely Impact Learners Globally
The GEM team's analysis indicated that, in some low- and middle-income countries, up to 90 percent of students do not have access to education in their home language, affecting over a quarter-billion learners worldwide. The situation becomes even more pressing amid increased global migration, where more than 31 million displaced youth currently face significant linguistic barriers in accessing quality education.Challenges Persist Despite Policy Awareness
While global awareness about the importance of home languages in education is growing, practical implementation remains limited. Key challenges include:- Insufficient teacher training to effectively teach in students' native languages.
- Scarcity of learning materials available in home languages.
- Community resistance toward multilingual education policies.
Impact of COVID-19 and Technological Influence
The report highlights a troubling trend of declining learning outcomes during the past decade, exacerbated significantly by COVID-19 and rapid technological changes. Particularly, learners disadvantaged by language barriers have suffered the most, experiencing a widening educational gap in key subjects. From 2010 to 2022, the learning gap increased from 12 to 18 percentage points in reading and 10 to 15 percentage points in mathematics between students proficient and non-proficient in the instructional language.Diverse Linguistic Challenges Call for Context-Specific Solutions
UNESCO identifies two main sources contributing to global linguistic disparities in education:- Historical Factors: Often linked to colonial legacies, imposed languages have historically marginalized local languages, creating long-term educational disparities.
- Contemporary Factors: Immigration has introduced linguistic diversity to classrooms, especially in high-income countries, posing challenges in language instruction and assessment.
Recommendations for Effective Multilingual Education
The report strongly recommends the following strategies to effectively implement multilingual education:- Curriculum Adaptation: Policies must prioritize curriculum adjustments that support smooth language transitions across educational levels.
- Teacher Training and Recruitment: Countries should align teacher deployment based on language fluency with school requirements, training teachers in culturally and linguistically responsive pedagogy.
- Inclusive Bridging Programs: Countries with substantial immigrant populations should develop bridging programs and inclusive curricula reflecting linguistic diversity.
- Strong Community Engagement: School leadership training should prioritize collaboration with parents and community members to promote linguistic inclusion and foster bridges between linguistic groups.
India's Context with Multilingual Education
This report arrives at a pivotal moment for India, currently implementing its New Education Policy (NEP), which emphasizes multilingual instruction. However, the NEP's three-language policy has faced opposition from various states, reflecting the complexity of executing multilingual education in practice.With UNESCO highlighting multilingual education as a crucial pathway to inclusivity, countries worldwide, including India, face renewed urgency to overcome linguistic barriers and provide equitable educational opportunities to all learners.