Part II.pdf - MTB-MLE Network

According to available data and the definition given in Note 1, only three nations, i.e. Brunei, Laos,
and Singapore, do not use local language in any system of basic education.
The second column indicates whether local languages are used as the media of instruction at some
level of basic education. The third column shows whether several languages are used in the
government systems of formal and non-formal basic education. The fourth column lists the languages
used in the government system. According to available data, in two countries – Laos and Myanmar
– only the national language is used. However, in Cambodia, Thailand and Viet Nam, the use of
local languages in education is a fairly recent phenomenon, and mainly confined to experimental
pilot projects with strong support from agencies and organizations outside the government system.
Further, in Brunei and Singapore, only major languages are used in the government system. Data
in Columns 5 and 6 are elaborated on later.
The regional situation is more diverse and complex than the first three columns of Table 1 would
indicate. Therefore, Tables 2 and 3 sum up the use of local languages in education in a slightly
different way to provide more details.
Table 2 highlights the use of local languages in various systems of education, thus supplementing
the data given in the first two columns of Table 1. Columns 1, 2 and 3 of Table 2 indicate the use
of local languages in different systems: primary, non-formal (at any level) and adult education,
respectively. Column 4 indicates whether local languages are used orally in classes. This data is
not available on all countries, but this does not necessarily mean that local languages are not used
orally in classrooms. Finally, the last two columns indicate whether mother tongue-based bilingual
education is provided (Column 5), and which, if any, languages are used as the mother tongue in
bilingual education (Column 6).
Country
Table 2. Use of Local Languages in Various Systems of Education in China
and South-East Asia
Local Local Local Local
languages used languages used languages used languages used
in primary in non-formal in adult orally in
education education education classes
Mother-tongue
based bilingual
education
Languages
used as mother
tongues in
bilingual
education
China Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes LLs, LWCs
Brunei No No No – No
Cambodia Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes LLs
Indonesia Yes Yes – Yes No
Lao PDR No No No Yes No
Malaysia Yes Yes – – Yes Man., Tam.,
Myanmar Yes Yes Yes Yes No
Philippines Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes LLs
Singapore No No No – No
Thailand Yes Yes Yes Yes No
Viet Nam Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Gia Rai, Hoa
Note ‘LLs’ = local languages, ‘Man’= Mandarin Chinese, ‘Tam’= Tamil.
112