Multilingual Education and India

It was inspiring to listen to Dr Subir Shukla at the Lead India webinar recently. Subir challenged us that we tend to spend far too much energy and time on the 𝘦𝘹𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘤 dimensions of  multilingual education: developing textbooks, solving orthography issues, creating certificates, etc. We should spend more energy on the 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘤 dimensions: using the languages of the children to connect with the children, to draw them out, to let them engage. That makes more difference in the learning results than getting the curriculum in the "right" languages. If that is the case, we might need to change the narrative around what MLE is about . Let us explore what Subhir had to say! At the September 2025 LEAD Community of Practice meeting, Dr. Subir Shukla challenged a persistent misconception about Multilingual Education (MLE): that MLE is seen as a project but should be more than a project or program — a part of the education system as a whole. While acknowledging the t...

It is quite rare to get a broad snapshot on what is happening in a country with regards to Multilingual Education. I therefore thoroughly enjoyed participating in the recent webinar organized by the National Consortium on Multilingual Education in India (NCMLEI) about an MLE landscaping study that Tata Trusts did in India. In this blog, you can read a few insights, and I strongly recommend watching the whole webinar ! The NCMLEI #6 webinar presented by Akhila Pydah & Dr. Shailaja Menon showcased insights from a nationwide landscaping study on Multilingual Education (MLE)  by Tata Trusts between February and April 2025. This study drew from expert consultations, organisational interviews, field visits across four states, and extensive desk research, the study provided a systematic mapping of MLE efforts across India.  Key Findings Finding 1: Lack of a unified understanding of MLE- India lacks a clear, shared understanding of multilingual education (MLE). Literature define...

The international mother language day usually triggers the publishing of multiple articles on language. This year there were also several relevant publications related to multilingual education . We picked 5 for you that might be of particular interest. The following articles highlight recent developments, offering valuable insights into multilingual education's role in enhancing student learning, cultural identity, and social inclusion. By examining these articles, we can understand the impact of these changes and how they align with the goals of UNESCO’s multilingual education guidelines. The combination of policy developments, local movements, and scholarly perspectives makes this an important time for MLE advocates to continue pushing for greater linguistic inclusivity in education systems. 1. UNESCO's Global Guidance on Multilingual Education: A Valuable Resource A new UNESCO publication on multilingual education came out on International Mother Language day "Languag...

A joint conference between government, civil society and universities is always good for cross fertilisation. The   British Council focused the yearly School Education Conference this year on multilingual pedagogy and practice in school education. At these conferences a significant number of teachers attend: a good way to interact with the multilingual classroom realities! The School Education Conference 2025, held on February 4, 2025, in collaboration between the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) and the British Council, was a pivotal event focusing on "Enhancing Multilingual Pedagogy and Practice in the Classroom." The conference aligned with India's National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and the National Curriculum Framework for School Education (NCF-SE), emphasizing the transformative role of multilingual education in fostering inclusive and effective learning environments. Conference Highlights: Theme: The central theme revolved around integrating multil...