Imagine stepping into a classroom where every word spoken by the teacher sounds unfamiliar. The lesson might be clear to some but not to you. Language, in this context, stops being a bridge to learning and becomes a barrier. For millions of children across the globe, this it’s a daily reality.
UNESCO reports that nearly 40% of the global population does not have access to education in a language they understand. In many low- and middle-income countries, the figure soars to 90%. In India, a nation of astounding linguistic diversity, children from tribal and rural backgrounds are most affected. Their futures hinge on a system that too often prioritizes dominant languages, like English or Hindi, over native tongues.
The consequences are severe. Education in an unfamiliar language can impede learning, lower self-esteem, and erode cultural identity. Yet, this systemic issue is frequently overlooked in broader discussions on education reform.
A classroom misaligned
India recognizes 22 official languages and is home to more than 19,500 dialects. Despite this, the dominant languages in its classrooms remain English and Hindi. For children whose first languages are Mundari, Ho, Santhali, or Kui, school quickly becomes alien territory.
Evidence suggests the costs are real. A study in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana found that students taught in Telugu consistently outperformed their peers in English-medium schools. In Odisha, tribal children studying in their mother tongues displayed better attention spans, classroom participation, and test scores. A similar pattern was observed in Chhattisgarh, where children taught in Halbi showed increased classroom confidence.
These are signals. Children don’t fail school. School fails them when it ignores their lived experiences, language, and cognitive realities.
Cognitive clarity, emotional confidence
Language is the framework through which children make sense of the world. Research from India’s National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) confirms what many educators have long known: foundational learning is strongest when delivered in a child’s home language.
Cognitive benefits aside, native language education supports emotional wellbeing. When children understand the language of instruction, they’re more likely to engage, ask questions, and take intellectual risks. When they don’t, anxiety, isolation, and early withdrawal from school become common.
In India, dropout rates in rural and tribal regions are a troubling consequence. Take Jharkhand, where tribal children who speak Ho or Kurukh at home are often taught in Hindi. Without a meaningful connection to what they are learning, many students disengage, leading to poor academic performance and, ultimately, school dropout. However, pilot programmes introducing tribal languages into early education in the state have shown remarkable improvements in both retention and learning.
The mother tongue advantage
Some states in India have taken note. Odisha’s Multilingual Education (MLE) programme integrates tribal languages like Santhali and Kui into the early curriculum. Telangana and Andhra Pradesh have also embraced Telugu-medium instruction at the primary level.
Encouragingly, India’s National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 promotes the use of the mother tongue or local language as the medium of instruction at least up to Grade 5. The policy recognizes that early education in a child’s first language enhances comprehension, critical thinking, and long-term academic success.
Global data backs this. According to research cited by the World Bank and UNESCO, children taught in their mother tongue during early schooling tend to outperform peers in other subjects including science and mathematics in later grades. This proves that native-language instruction doesn’t limit global competitiveness; it enhances it.
Where policy meets reality
While the NEP 2020 sets a progressive direction, implementation remains India’s biggest hurdle.
First, there is a dearth of quality educational materials in regional and tribal languages. Developing culturally relevant, age-appropriate textbooks and learning aids is essential. These materials should reflect not just the language but the lived experiences of the children reading them.
Second, teacher training must evolve. Many educators are unprepared for multilingual classrooms. Targeted training programmes, language fluency modules, and culturally sensitive pedagogy are vital to bridge this gap.
Third, digital innovation holds untapped potential. Artificial intelligence and machine learning tools can help translate and localize content at scale. Educational apps, voice-based learning modules, and interactive videos in multiple languages can ensure that every child, regardless of geography, receives quality instruction in a language they understand.
Rethinking equity in education
This issue is not just about pedagogy. It’s about justice.
When children are denied the right to learn in their own language, we deny them more than an education. We deny them identity, dignity, and a future on their terms.
India’s linguistic diversity should be seen not as an obstacle, but as an opportunity to build a more inclusive, equitable education system. That begins by listening, literally and figuratively, to the voices of the most marginalized.
Organizations like the Smile Foundation are already demonstrating how language-sensitive, community-driven interventions can improve outcomes. With the right blend of policy, technology, and cultural awareness, we can scale such successes across the country and offer a model for other multilingual nations grappling with similar challenges.
A future worth building
Imagine classrooms where every child hears a familiar word, where learning feels like belonging, and where identity is not sacrificed for understanding. That is the promise of mother tongue education.
If India is to truly fulfill the spirit of its Right to Education Act and the Sustainable Development Goals, it must begin by recognizing that language is not a barrier to success; it is the foundation of it.
To empower a child, speak their language. To transform a nation, educate every child in their own.
