View Content #21017

From http://en.unesco.org/gem-report/if-you-don%E2%80%99t-understand-how-can-you-learn#sthash.FdHDPpP0.dpbs

UNESCO published a report on February 19 of this year asserting that “Quality education should be delivered in the language spoken at home.” Among the report’s recommendations:

•    Children should be taught in a language they understand, yet as much of 40% of the global population does not have access to education in a language they speak or understand.
•    Speaking a language that is not spoken in the classroom frequently holds back a child’s learning, especially for those living in poverty.
•    At least six years of mother tongue instruction is needed to reduce learning gaps for minority language speakers.
•    In multi-ethnic societies, imposing a dominant language through a school system has frequently been a source of grievance linked to wider issues of social and cultural inequality.
•    Education policies should recognize the importance of mother tongue learning.
•    Linguistic diversity creates challenges within the education system, notably in areas of teacher recruitment, curriculum development and the provision of teaching materials.

Read the full report here: http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0024/002437/243713E.pdf