International Mother Language Day 2006: Optimizing Education in Sub-Saharan Africa through Mother Tongue and Bilingual Education The UNESCO Institute for Education (UIE) and the Association for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA) commemorate today’s International Mother Language Day with a new study on multilingual education entitled “Optimizing Learning and Education in Africa - The Language Factor”. The study aims at supporting policy-makers and educators to make informed decisions with respect to language use in education and language policies. The effects of such decisions determine not only the rate of social return of investments in education but also the development of the entire society. In his message on the occasion of the International Mother Language Day, the UNESCO Director General draws attention to the complex social dimension of language: “From the first to the last moments of our existence, from generation to generation, language accompanies serves and creates us. It is at the heart of family life, work, school, politics, the media, justice and scientific research. It is also central to religion.” (More on International Mother Language Day: http://portal.unesco.org.) In 2005, six experts took stock of experiences and educational programmes using mother tongue and bilingual education in 25 Sub-Saharan African countries. In 2006, the stocktaking report will be presented at the ADEA Biennial 27-31 March in Libreville, Gabon, and a Ministerial Forum in Africa is planned for beginning 2007. The experts focused on scientific and empirical evidence pertaining to language use and its implications on the quality of learning and education. They analysed practices as well as contentious issues in six thematic areas, which are policies and management, teaching and learning practices in formal and nonformal education, language education models, costs, and, last but not least, publishing. Contentious issues are often rooted in misunderstandings or lack of information. Therefore, the study clarifies for example the difference between learning a language and learning through a language. Implementing mother tongue and bilingual education is often perceived as too costly, thus, another section of the study is devoted to analysing what the real costs are. In conclusion, the findings clearly show that the most beneficial and effective education system in multilingual African nations is based on additive multilingual education which leads to high proficiency in African and international languages. The authors encourage policy-makers and educators to build on available expertise and resources and push for their expansion in this direction. Development and learning is only possible through languages familiar to the population. The social vision, for which the recommendations of the report try to pave the way, is a reinforcing social system based on conversion facilitated by language and education policy as well as practice. This vision cannot be reached with a “one size fits all” approach. Each country will need to build on its resources and find its own strategy. However, regional cooperation can facilitate the process and create long lasting synergies between African countries. For further information on the study please check the executive summary. The final version of the study will be available in March 2006 at the ADEA and UIE websites. The ADEA newsletter Vol. 17(2) “Learning, but in which language?” presents findings of the study and can be downloaded, in English and French, from the ADEA website. Contact:  Christine Glanz c.glanz@unesco.org ADEA (www.adeanet.org), Thanh-Hoa Desruelles th.desruelles@iiep.unesco.org