Bridging Cultures and Minds: The Transformative Impact of Mother Tongue Integration in Curriculum Design

Beyond cultural benefits, employing the mother tongue and local languages as the medium of instruction in education has proved to be one of the most effective ways to accelerate the acquisition of knowledge, foster skills development, and enhance the overall quality of learning outcomes.

UNESCO-IBE’s vision of the curriculum embraces local culture, values, and endogenous knowledge so that learners can learn and connect with different cultures while recognizing universal values and nurturing their local and global citizenship. Mother-tongue learning and multilingualism are an integral part of this approach. 

Multilingualism has been a feature of particular importance and complexity in Africa, where school dropouts have been cited due to a lack of opportunity to learn in their mother tongue. UNESCO’s General History of Africa (GHA) initiative recognizes the need to revisit the colonial legacy of Africa’s education systems and incorporate language and culture to transform education across the continent. This shared effort ensures that the rich heritage of Africa’s history is integrated, acknowledged and celebrated, aligning with the aspirations of the Member States of the African Union.

Working with Ministries of Education and a wide range of education institutions and stakeholders, UNESCO-IBE assists African Member States to develop a curriculum based on competencies and skills in order to build “the Africa we want” in 2063. 

Recognizing educational quality as a primary challenge, the Ministry of Education in Guinea-Bissau has sought assistance from UNESCO-IBE to address this concern. In response, UNESCO-IBE, strongly supported by the Ministry, has identified the use of Creole and other national languages as pivotal in enhancing teaching and learning methodologies. At the request of the Ministry, UNESCO-IBE has conducted a feasibility study and formulated a comprehensive roadmap for implementation, underscoring a collaborative effort to transform the educational landscape in Guinea-Bissau.

Watch this video to hear experts explain why education in the mother tongue is critical for setting the foundations for success in school.