Why and how Africa should invest in African languages and multilingual education

This evidence and practice-based policy advocacy brief is the product of an in-depth research and consultation process that was initiated in 2005 and carried out in consultation with experts—the majority from Africa—in language, education, and publishing and African Ministries of Education. It addresses seven common concerns about mother-tongue-based multilingual education in sub-Saharan Africa in the light of experiences of mother-tongue education in Africa since the 1950s. It also draws on a broad array of experiences and sources from around the world. The focus on African experiences redresses the mistake made so often in the past: namely, the practice of applying to this continent research results from regions with very different linguistic contexts and learning environments. Drawing on research results from Africa, the brief makes concrete suggestions on how education systems can be shaped to foster individual and social development in African contexts. As a measure to facilitate the promotion of mother-tongue-based multilingual/multicultural education and learning cultures, Ministers of Education from 18 African countries adopted in 2010 the ""Policy Guide on the Integration of African Languages and Cultures into Education Systems"" during a conference on the same topic organized by ADEA and UIL in Ouagadougou on 20-22 January 2010.