Policy Development on Languages in Education in Multilingual Nepal

This paper will offer a reflection on a three-month process, over mid 2015, of fieldwork, consultation and dialogue in support of policy development for languages of education in Nepal. The paper will first explore the... [ view full abstract ]

This paper will offer a reflection on a three-month process, over mid 2015, of fieldwork, consultation and dialogue in support of policy development for languages of education in Nepal.

The paper will first explore the context, in which, with at least 123 languages spoken by diverse ethnic communities, including over 50 recognised indigenous minorities, the rights arguments, educational desirability and sustainable development potential of mother-tongue-based multilingual education are clear. In recognition of the role that social exclusion has played in recent conflict, there is high-level on-paper commitment to evolution towards a multilingual, federal nation. However, given Nepal's long and complex history of discrimination and exclusion, greater rights for the most widely-spoken languages are sometimes viewed as threatening both to smaller language groups that share their territories and to the Nepali-speaking majority. Language planning is further complicated by a growing trend of English medium education, despite its highly variable results. Whilst there is considerable capacity and commitment within MoE, academia and civil society; implementation of multilingual initiatives has so far been underfunded, fragmented and project-dependent. There are confused approaches at the classroom level and the potential of various multilingual approaches are yet to be persuasively demonstrated in the Nepal context.

The paper will proceed to discuss, in the light of the findings of the consultation process, what policy options have been identified, how capacity will be developed and how society-wide participatory dialogue on language policy can be taken forward, within a renewed and expanded vision for education ‘Quality’.