UNESCO Report: 40% Globally Denied Education in Mother Tongue

A recent UNESCO report finds that 40% of the global population is denied access to education in a language they speak or understand fully. This jumps to 90% in certain low- and middle-income nations, impacting more than 250 million students around the world. The report, "Languages Matter: Global Guidance on Multilingual Education," identifies the increasing linguistic diversity in schools as a result of migration, with more than 31 million displaced children at risk of language exclusion. Although there is mounting awareness of the importance of mother tongues, multilingual policy implementation is still limited because of teacher shortages, unavailability of materials, and resistance from communities. The report calls on countries to develop context-based strategies to overcome these challenges and ensure inclusive education.
Source: UNESCO Global Education Monitoring Team