New Delhi: Forty per cent of the global population does not have access to education in a language they speak or understand, according to UNESCO’s Global Education Monitoring (GEM) team.
In some low- and middle-income countries, this figure rises to 90%, affecting over 250 million learners.
Despite increasing awareness of the importance of home languages in education, policy implementation remains limited. Challenges include inadequate teacher training, lack of learning materials in native languages, and community resistance, the report noted.
The GEM team’s report, *Languages Matter: Global Guidance on Multilingual Education*, highlights the growing linguistic diversity in classrooms due to migration. Over 31 million displaced youth face language barriers in education, making multilingual policies crucial.
Released on the 25th anniversary of International Mother Language Day, the report underscores ongoing efforts to preserve and promote native languages. It comes at a time when India is implementing the National Education Policy (NEP), which advocates multilingual education but has faced opposition in some states over the three-language formula.
A senior GEM official stated that learning levels in reading and mathematics have declined over the past decade, particularly among students disadvantaged by language barriers. Between 2010 and 2022, the gap between students learning in their native language and those who do not widened significantly—from 12 to 18 percentage points in reading and from 10 to 15 in mathematics.
The report attributes linguistic disparities in education to both historical and contemporary factors. Colonial legacies often imposed dominant languages, restricting the use of native tongues in instruction and widening educational inequalities. Meanwhile, modern migration adds linguistic diversity to classrooms in wealthier nations, necessitating policies for language acquisition and inclusive curricula.
To address these challenges, the GEM team recommends tailored language policies, curriculum adjustments, and adequate teaching resources. In multilingual settings, teacher training should focus on proficiency in both home and secondary languages. Teacher deployment should align with language fluency, and early childhood educators should adopt culturally responsive teaching methods.
Additionally, the report calls for broader support systems, including school leadership training to foster inclusivity and collaboration between educators, parents, and communities to bridge linguistic gaps.
