1. SHISHUR KHAMATAYAN- Multilingual Education Program of Save the Children November-6-8, Bangkok Imperial Queens Park hotel Implemented by: Zabarang Kalyan Samity Bolipara Nari Kalyan Samity and Rakhaing Development Foundation

2. Rationale for Multilingual Education Program Provide a strong educational foundation A good bridge to gain competence and confidence Restoration and presentation of endangered languages

3. Where we work CHT – children from minority indigenous groups Remote hilly area

4. Partners in operation Zabarang Kalyan Samity (ZKS) - Dighinala, Panchari and Khg Sadar - 100 Pre-Primary schools - 17 Grade-1, Grade-II and Grade III classes - 36 Community Learning Centers - 10,629 children graduate in Pre-Primary,GI,II,III and CLC Bolipara Nari Kalyan Samity (BNKS) - Alikadam, Thanchi and B’ban sadar - 60 Pre-Primary schools - 9804 children in Youth Club - 11034 children in Pre-Primary & Youth Club Rakhaing Development Foundation (RDF) - Ramu, Chakaria, Teknaf and Cox’Bazar Sadar - 19 Pre-Primary Schools - 652 children in Coaching - 907 children in Pre-Primary and Coaching

5. 5 Establish pre-primary centres Engage primary schools transition Material development Community mobilisation & participation Teacher training

6. Program in operation Preschools (2 years) - Mother tongue based MLE- Chakma, Marma, Kokborok (Tripura), Mro, Rakhaing language Grade-1,Grade-2 and 3 Mother tongue based Chakma and Tripura Parenting Community Learning Circle Reception & orientation organized in GPS/RNGPS MLE Awareness training within the catchments primary school

7. Curriculum Development : Pre-Primary, Grade-1,Grade-2 & 3 Pre-Primary curriculum that followed by Save the children Finalization of curriculum through series of workshops with Director of Tribal Cultural Institute-Khagrachari, Language committee and Community Leaders Discussion with community, national & international experts Field test

8. Pre-primary Curriculum SubjectPre-primary-1Pre-primary-2 LanguageBig book, Small BookPrimer, Story BooksBangla TPR (Total Physical Response) and sign writing Culture and community Songs and rhymes, Drawing Songs and Rhymes, Drawing MathCultural Math Numeric Math Environmental studySelf introductionFamiliar to Environment Outdoor GameCultural Game Alphabet ChartChakma, Mro, Marma, Rakhaing, Tripura Bangla Alphabet chart & TPR Teachers GuideTeachers guide

9. Pre-Primary Materials

10. Primary Curriculum GradeMTBanglaMathEnglishSocialStory Grade-1Mother tongue text book Bangla Primer MT math and transfer in Bangla Alphabe t Chrt Ev.Scien ce chart followe d NCTB Story Books Game, Songs and Rhymes Grade-2Mother tongue text book Bangla- NCTB Math- NCTB Text book Ev.Scien ce chart Followe d NCTB Story Books Songs and Rhymes Game Grade-3Mother tongue text book Bangla- NCTB Math- NCTB Text book Science book Banglade sh and Global Studies Songs and Rhymes Game

11. Grade-1 & Grade-II Materials

12. Teachers Development Subject Days Language development 3 Days Basic training on Pedagogy 8 days Refreshers training 3 days by month Regular Supervision by CF, UPO, PC Every month

13. Success 179 pre-primary centres running in project areas 17 Grade 1 Grade II & III running in Khagrachari 124 teacher trained (women 83%) 120 Centre Management Committees (CMC) established Reception & Orientation Prog. introduced in 60 GPS/ Developed 40 big books,40 small books, 60 listening stories in each of 5 languages Developed 15 story books for Pre-primary, 7 story books for Grade-1, 2, 3 Developed Teachers guide in MLE Developed Primer, Songs and Rhymes in MLE Published Alphabet and Number charts of 5 languages – Chakma, Kokborok, Marma, Rakhaing, Mro Published Alphabet and Number cards of 5 languages

14. A comparative analysis of mother-tongue- and national-language-based preschools in Adivasi communities -2010 Gawri Vijayakumar PHD Student University of Barkley

15. Aim: To assess how the use of mother tongue in preschool classrooms effects Indigenous children’s school readiness and participatory learning environments Research questions 1.How developmentally ready are children attending MLE preschools for the transition to primary school, in comparison with children attending Bangla preschools with similar levels of resources? 2.How does the extent of the use of mother-tongue in preschool classrooms impact learning processes and teacher-student interaction? 3.Do children have the broader support from parents to transition to primary school?

17. Children’s Engagement

21. Quality MLE program from childhood to Life long How do we ensure the effectiveness, efficiency, relevance and sustainability of quality MLE programs, from childhood to life long learning Teachers need to be from local community Center management committee and Parents need to be well motivated to MLE Community would prepare from beginning of the MLE program that they will have to gradually uptake the project Local education and national education authority should have clear conception of MLE and they will have MLE best practice in front of them A huge number of MT graded reading materials in the school and community Ongoing evaluation of the program

22. Quality of MLE teaching practices How can teacher training programs, materials and school management in general promote quality MLE teaching practices? Training staff in the program Teachers training need to be on MLE pedagogy and L1 language,L2 language Teachers refreshers training need to be focus on enhance teachers teaching skill Teachers guide need to be developed Materials content needs to be from local area, children friendly, easy language, short sentences Bridge MT to 2 nd language School/Center management committee should well motivated, excepted by community Center Management committee trained on monitoring

23. MLE Program Design How should MLE programs be designed to respond to best practices described in language acquisition theories? In the early age children need to have huge graded reading book for vocabulary Activity on language, math and social science in MT Songs, Rhymes, Games in MT and national language instruction As per language acquisition theories curriculum need to be designed with Meaning and Accuracy Two way bridge with MT and national languages (Trans language)

24. MLE Be Institutionalize How can MLE be institutionalized in culturally appropriate way? Formation of community and education authority excepted language committee Capacity building of language committee MLE curriculum need to be culture focused Competency linked with national competency Materials content need to be from children’s familiar environment e.g. Story, Songs, Rhymes, Games, Cultural math, Science A huge reading materials need to be published Advocacy with Local authority and national concern ministry to uptake and institutionalize MLE

25. The Bangladesh Govt. incorporate the children’s right to learn in their mother tongue in ‘National Education Policy 2010 Bangladesh Govt. will start mother tongue based pre- primary education from January 2014 with the five language group Save the children is contributing to the MLE Technical Committee in national level to incorporated SC MLE best practices into the implementation guidelines, curriculum and materials under development with MOPME and the National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB) Govt. has already amazed to see SC’s MLE pre-school, teachers training and teaching materials.

26. Challenges What are the challenges involved in improving overall teaching and learning practices for MLE in the classrooms? How can we overcome these challenges? Challenges Remote area Unavailability of qualified teacher Teachers can not read and write in their Mother tongue Drop out of trained teachers Village’s are scattered in the hilly area’s and children’s number are few in the classroom Children’s mother tongue script is not common in their environment Scarcity of the drinking water in the classroom Children absent from the school for 3 months in the monsoon for Jhum cultivation in the hill with parents

27. Challenges Condition of political conflict and unrest Graduated children loose their interest slowly in Primary School due to not having child friendly environment Script selection become even more political within the national system Decision by the gov’t to go for 1-year MLE rather than 2, Translation approach decision Sustaining the NGO funded work while we work with the gov’t policy development process Govt. change hamper in policy implementation

28. Overcome of the challenges Overcome of the Challenges Engage youth to support the teacher Capacity building of the teacher in Mother tongue and national language in reading and writing Class room with multi age children Develop a huge number of MT based reading materials in the community Established library in the community Indigenous children’s academic calendar address by the Govt. Other agencies need to emphasis on WATSAN