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High-Level Policy Forum on Multilingual Education endorses ‘Bangkok Priorities for Action’
The High-level Policy Forum on Multilingual Education, which brought together over 30 high-senior government officials from 20 Asia-Pacific countries* during the 7th International Conference on Language and Learning, hosted by UNESCO, UNICEF, and partners, in Bangkok, from 4 to 6 October 2023, resulted in the endorsement of the Bangkok Priorities for Action on First Language-based Multilingual Education. The Bangkok Priorities for Action calls for urgent action to be taken by governments and all education stakeholders in the region to advance ‘first language-based multilingual education policies, programmes and practices to accelerate learning, strengthen education systems and address the learning crisis’ through the employment of learner’s first languages in the region’s school systems and classrooms in the post COVID-19 era and beyond.
The High-Level Policy Forum on Multilingual Education, which met on 5 October and featured the theme, ‘Multilingual Education for Transformative Education Systems and Resilient Futures’, was supported by 11 education partners of the Asia-Pacific Multilingual Education Working Group (MLE WG), which is co-chaired by UNESCO and UNICEF. The Forum was convened during the 7th International Conference on Language and Education, and aimed to review and discuss progress made since the , and determine priorities for action to advance children’s foundational learning through first language-based multilingual education, within the framework of Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4) and the recent Transforming Education Summit (2022).
The Bangkok Priorities for Action on First Language-based Multilingual Education calls for action on the following priorities:
- High-quality research and nationally generated evidence on first language-based multilingual education (L1 MLE), such as language mapping and impact studies
- Budget allocation on L1 MLE that is targeted and inclusive
- Effectiveness of and implementation of L1 MLE policies
- L1 MLE teaching and learning materials, both in print and online formats
- Classroom-based formative and summative assessments designed appropriately for L1 MLE
- Options and multiple means of language inclusion in the learning process
- Recruitment, training and deployment of L1 MLE teachers
- Data disaggregated by first language with national data and indicators such as SDG 4
- Relevant stakeholders partnered for L1 MLE, especially indigenous and ethnolinguistic minority communities for lifelong learning
Read the Bangkok Priorities for Action here.
*Bangladesh, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, People’s Republic of China, Cook Islands, Fiji, India, Indonesia, Kiribati, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Nepal, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Uzbekistan and Viet Nam.
For additional information
Contact:
- Gregory Galligan, UNESCO Regional Office in Bangkok: g.galligan(at)unesco.org and pio.bangkok(at)unesco.org
- Bunly Meas, UNICEF East Asia and Pacific Regional Office, Bangkok: bmeas(at)unicef.org
For more information and resources, visit the official 7MLE website:
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