Creating a supportive policy environment.



PRACTICAL ACTION: Ensure that MLE is embedded in national education policy, ensuring sustainable and transformational change. Key steps to strengthen MLE policies and ensure they meet the linguistic and educational needs of diverse communities include to: 

• Affirm MLE as a national policy priority, recognizing its role in improving educational quality, equity and inclusion and broader societal benefits. 

• Conduct research on language use and educational needs, collecting accurate, context specific data language usage patterns, specific educational needs, and the relevance and effectiveness of current MLE initiatives to inform policy adjustments and improvements. 

• Embed MLE and language development within lifelong learning policies, offering first language instruction beyond primary school into secondary, tertiary and adult education and as part of non-formal education initiatives. 

• Integrate MLE into teacher recruitment and training, including policies related to teacher deployment and transfer and ongoing professional development (see section on Teachers). 

• Facilitate inter-ministerial coordination between Ministries of Education, Labour, Culture, Finance and Environment, among others, to integrate MLE policies with national priorities and ensure resource allocation, policy alignment and cross-sectoral support.




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