Mother tongue multilingual education report

As part of an ongoing partnership between the Language Commission of Nepal and VSO, a recent study on mother tongue based multilingual education takes a magnifying glass to selected schools in the Nepali municipalities of Temal and Phidim.

The study, commissioned as part of a new VSO-supported mother tongue-based multilingual education activity, offers fresh insight in to the perceptions and practices of parents, teachers and students in six primary schools in remote Nepal.

The study was led by Naomi Fillmore, VSO Volunteer who worked as Mother Tongue based Multi Lingual Education Specialist based in Language Commission of Nepal

Encouragingly, especially during the International Year of Indigenous Languages, the study finds wide support for mother tongue-based education among parents, guardians, and teachers. However, challenges were also found, including low confidence among teachers for implementing a mother-tongue based program and a lack of mother tongue teaching resources available at the local level.

By understanding and respecting local perspectives, the Government of Nepal stands a better chance of delivering a stronger, more inclusive education system for Nepal's indigenous and linguistically diverse children.