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Published Date: February 9, 2010

Multilingual education (MLE) is a major trend in addressing education needs of indigenous peoples and communities in the greater margins of many Asian countries. There is increasing awareness of the need for more appropriate education that sustains local culture and that bridges the social gap with mainstream society. (ESSC News)

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At the margins of the Philippines, education has not been accessible in any workable fashion. This is most notable in the uplands of Mindanao, in indigenous communities situated at the edge of villages with a predominantly migrant population. In many cases, churches and voluntary support groups have supported both non-formal and formal approaches, but not always with the sustainability desired. In places where indigenous children do have access to formal education, their culture and language are marginalized by the national educational system. Throughout the Philippines, the language of formal education is not the language of home and of local knowledge. The dropout rate is high in areas that are culturally and economically marginalized, and this is especially true for indigenous peoples. There are no clear figures for the number of informal education programs in Mindanao, but a rough estimate of 300 plus alternative child literacy and formal community programs is probable.

FULL STORY

Advancing indigenous peoples’ development through MLE (ESSC News)

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Tags: education, indigenous, language
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