Multilingual Education

Mother tongue education program for indigenous languages in Kenya (MEPIL)

Mother Tongue Education (MTE) refers to the provision of education using mother tongue as the language of instruction. It should be noted that MTE does not preclude learning in a second or even third language.

Why Mother Tongue

It ensures learning takes place from the known to the unknown. It encourages the active participation of learners in the learning process. It leads to a better understanding of concepts in a familiar language. It leads to better results in exams and improves the retention of learners in school.

Mother Tongue Education Policy

The Language in Education Policy stipulates that the medium of instruction for lower primary school should be the language of the catchment area. In line with this, BTL in partnership with the government of Kenya is implementing a 3 year Mother Tongue project in Tana River and Kwale counties, targeting the Pokomo, Orma, Digo and Duruma communities in the counties.

Objectives of the MEPIL Program

To bring parity in the education levels of children in Kwale and Tana River counties with other children in the country Allowing the children to learn in a language they understand best.

Program Material Production

The project intends to develop language materials for Orma, Digo, and Duruma from grade 1 to 3 within a three year period. For Pokomo, the language books were developed during the pilot phase of the project. Therefore, during this project period, the Pokomo will produce learning-teaching materials for the lower primary level. All materials shall be submitted to the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development for assessment and approval