1. Danida’s policy and practice in relation to mother tongue and bilingual education Stephen Carney & Marianne Schulz

2. UNESCO World Education Forum (2000) Dakar Framework for Action 1.Early childhood care and education 2.Free primary education for all 3.Learning and life-skills for young people and adults 4.50% improvement in adult literacy by 2015; access to basic and continuing education 5.Eliminate gender disparities in primary and secondary by 2005; full equality by 2015 6.Improved quality of education especially in literacy, numeracy and essential life skills

3. UN Millennium Summit (2000) Millennium Development Goals Goal 2: Achieve universal primary education Goal 3: Promote gender equality and empower women

4. Danish Development Policy Poverty reduction at the core: –Social and economic development –Human rights, democratisation and good governance –Stability, security and the fight against terrorism –Refugees, humanitarian assistance and regions of origin –Environment

5. Education Sector Policies 2001 Access Equity Quality Governance Cultural identity, language & values Mother tongue, ‘early exit’ or ‘laissez faire’?

6. New Development Context New aid modalities (basket-funding) Sectoral-level approach Decentralised support

7. Support for Indigenous Peoples ‘Self-determination’ ‘Distinct peoples’ ‘Fundamental rights’ ‘Recognition of culture, language, religion’ Respect for diversity, or rhetoric?

8. Challenges for Advisors Need for conceptual and analytical work Necessarily ambiguous Resistance to mother tongue from parents Tension between rights ideology, resource constraints and lack of direct influence

9. Policies in Practice Bolivia & Nicaragua Zambia & Mozambique Nepal Diverse policies Role of language differs Danida support differs

10. Bolivia & Nicaragua Intercultural bilingual education (IBE) IBE as ‘right’ & strategy for ‘quality’ IBE for citizenship IBE for inclusion of indigenous groups

11. Zambia & Mozambique Language factor absent! Historic place of English Primary Reading Programme -Lack of political will -English language teacher training -Capacity of education sector

12. Nepal Mother tongue recognised National strategy for Inclusive Education (2003) Monolingual reality! -Translated materials but Nepali teaching -Danida complacence/ policy drift - ‘Linguistic imperialism’

13. Challenges Politics and culture Aid philosophy Aid structures Capacity Infrastructure and resources

14. Other Reflections ‘Quality’ as loose signifier Be analytical. Advocate! Harmonisation requires new strategies & structures Civil society organisations?

15. Finally ‘Language policy is a pawn in the struggle for, or the preservation of, power and this is by no means a typically African phenomenon’. (Cummins 2000)