Multilingual Education and India

Creativity comes so much more naturally when we use our heart languages. Creative writing is part of that, and therefore it is good to note the PALASH initiative (Jharkhand) efforts to get the children to write their own books is bearing fruit: One of their books won an international prize. Let's celebrate with them, but also challenge ourselves as only 1 book from India was chosen, while several other countries had multiple finalists.  In a milestone for indigenous literature and mother-tongue education, a Santhali-language storybook created entirely by schoolgirls from Jharkhand has been selected for the IBBY-UNESCO Collection of Remarkable Books for Young Readers in Indigenous and Endangered Languages . Out of hundreds of global entries, this student-led creation now stands among roughly 170 titles representing over 150 indigenous and endangered languages worldwide. Titled "Rimil Aar Chasha Hodo" (The Cloud and the Farmer), the book was authored and illustrated by yo...

It's always good to see that around World Literacy Day extra articles are coming out to promote the value of literacy, and occasionally people will mention the value of the local languages. We have made a selection of some of the relevant ones related to the production of books.  On the 8th of September, International Literacy Day is observed across countries. But what special meaning could literacy hold for multilingual education in India? We will focus on a few efforts that show true literacy is not just about statistics, but about ensuring people can read, learn, and think in their own mother tongues. The creation of books and learning resources in local languages plays a vital role in this process, helping bridge the gap between literacy and inclusion. Let us look at three recent stories that highlight how such initiatives are strengthening multilingual education. Finally, we will take a quick glance at a few highlights of International Literacy Day from India and UNESCO. 1. ...