40% global population doesn't have access to education in language they understand: UNESCO
According to UNESCO’s Global Education Monitoring team, 40% of the world’s population does not have access to education in a language they speak or understand. In some low- and middle-income countries, this figure rises to as high as 90%, affecting more than a quarter of a billion students.
UNESCO is urging governments to adopt multilingual education policies, but implementing these policies remains a major challenge. Teachers often lack training in using home languages in the classroom, suitable learning materials are scarce, and some sections of society resist multilingual education. These factors make its widespread adoption difficult.
The report highlights that rising migration has made linguistic diversity a global reality. Over 31 million displaced young people face language barriers in education. UNESCO stresses that governments should tailor their language policies to national contexts and provide teachers with adequate support for bilingual education.
Language policies are influenced by both historical and contemporary factors. While migration enriches societies, it can also deepen educational inequalities. UNESCO argues that linguistic diversity should be seen as an advantage rather than a barrier and calls on countries to adapt their curricula accordingly.
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