Mother Language Day '23 theme: The necessity of multilingual education

UNECO’s theme for this year’s Mother Language Day is ‘Multilingual Education – a Necessity to Transform Education’.

With this theme – UNESCO encourages multilingual systems of education while prioritizing the mother tongue. That is to eliminate the language barrier non-speakers might face if their education is centered on another language.

UNESCO states students will have greater chances of learning if subjects are taught in their primary language.

Commenting on this year’s theme for Mother Tongue Day, Dhivehi Language Academy’s (DLA) President Dr. Ashraf Abdul Raheem said that although UNESCO’s theme encourages multilingual systems of education in countries where there are people speaking different languages – the Maldives comprises of people of the same race, speaking the same language.

Underscoring the dominance of English language in the Maldivian education system – Dr. Ashraf emphasized the importance of deploying policies that prioritizes our mother tongue.

“Dhivehi Language Academy’s request is the inclusion of as many subjects in Dhivehi Language in early education in addition to English Language. Apart from early education, to also provide students in secondary, higher secondary and other educational stages with Dhivehi books for subjects they learn in order to establish an education system which prioritizes the Dhivehi language,” he said. 

Dhivehi Language Academy remarked that the cooperation of all Maldivians is required to conserve the Dhivehi language and its dialects.