Language and Learning: MLE Initiatives in Nepal Nordic Conference Denmark June 2012 Lava Deo Awasthi, PhD 1

Contents  Languages as Pedigrees of Nation  Initiatives Taken for a New Language Order in Nepal  Challenges  How to Change?  The Way Forward: Moving Towards Actions 2

Languages as Pedigrees of Nation  Nepal’s multilingual construct  More than 100 languages in use  Languages and cultures thrived  People lived in harmony  Monolingual construct : Imported ideology  Wood Commission (1956): Macaulay Minutes (1835)  One Language Policy: Legacy of English  Spread of power language(s); threat to linguistic diversity and co-existence  Over a period of time minority languages faced marginalization (following a model of English)

Initiatives Taken for a New Language Order in Nepal  Empowering languages by law and employing mother tongues for pedagogies  Applying principle of first language served first  Introducing oral approach in school (more than 70 languages are without written systems)  Introducing grade teaching (one teacher one class) and Multi-grade teaching forming language groups (more than one class with one teacher)  Introducing mother tongues in Early Childhood Development programmes (home – school continuum)  Developing indigenized learning materials  Mother tongues as medium of instruction and medium testing 4

Initiatives Taken…contd  MLE piloting in six districts: received encouraging results - high attendance and participation, students’ engaged in cognitive processes, raising self esteems  MLE provisions targeted in 7500 schools across Nepal  6000 teachers are being trained for MLE in schools  Establishment of MLE Resource Centre for professional support  Local communities are taking initiatives and setting inspiring examples  Education Journalists forming national networks - MLE teams  Political consensus and strong popular support  Inspirations drawn from studies carried out in the region including India (Bodo Assam), the Philippines, Bangladesh(Chitagong Hills), China, Yunnan Province (Zero Barrier Bilingual Education Project) 5

Challenges Inadequate strategies at local and global levels for overcoming inequality in education resulted due to denial to mother tongues Lack of collaboration to mobilize multiple stakeholders from centre to schools Stereotyping in policy formulation and pedagogical practices Reproduction in Pedagogy – teachers’ Gurukul habitus Inadequate systemic support Influence of English and globalization 6

How to Change? From problem orientations to resource orientations Enabling environment for resource convertibility  Capacity, resource and use of Mother Tongues Recognizing:  Mother tongue medium education as a foundation  Centrality of teachers: response at local levels  Indigenized knowledge in curricula and textbooks  Pedagogical choice – oral approach  Focus on cognition and learning, not on forms and rote memorization  Mother tongue as medium of testing  Community based education – decentralized model  Collaboration and sharing at local and global levels 7

The Way Forward: Moving Towards Actions Mapping our roles: Who should do what? Educational institutions: Inclusiveness in response and service delivery Indigenous and professional organizations: Activism for language enrichment and language revitalization Helping people make informed choices Government systems: Pronouncement of policy intentions: enabling environment, coordination, attitudinal change Civil society organizations: Commitment for facilitation and coordination Generating knowledge through research and development Introducing indigenized approach to MLE Sharing information for change in education 8

Thank You 9