EdData II: Data for Education Research and Programming (derp) in Africa

Teacher skills, attitudes, and 
placement 
•
Teachers are not literate in 
languages their students 
speak; have little training in 
teaching L1 as subject or 
teaching content in L1 
•
Teachers are unfamiliar with or 
opposed to instruction in L1 or 
children’s familiar languages 
because they did not 
experience it themselves
•
Teachers lack knowledge 
regarding bilingual and 
multilingual education 
pedagogy 
•
Education systems can provide teachers with information about the 
benefits of teaching in familiar languages and taking an L1-based 
approach to instruction. Teachers’ unions and in-service training 
opportunities present opportunities to share and discuss information. 
•
Education systems can provide at least part of pre- and/or in-service 
teacher training through the languages in which teachers will be 
providing instruction. Training opportunities on literacy acquisition, 
language development, and bilingual methodologies can be provided 
so that teachers feel prepared to teach in L1-based, multilingual 
classrooms.
•
Organizing L2/Lx subject teaching by specialized teachers can help to 
maximize resources, minimize costs, reduce the burden on teachers 
to be both language and subject experts, and improve the quality of 
teaching. 
•
Policies and practices related to teacher recruitment and placement 
can be reviewed and updated through a consultative process to 
ensure that teachers are placed in schools where they speak their 
students’ language, while being sensitive to concerns for teacher 
mobility.
Complexity and cost 
•
Too many languages to 
provide L1-based instruction to 
all
•
Too complicated to provide 
instruction in multiple 
languages
•
Too expensive to provide 
instruction and materials in 
multiple languages
•
Language mapping can accurately identify the number of languages 
needed. Often a majority of the population can be reached by a 
handful of languages.
•
In urban or other heterogeneous language communities, school-
based language mapping and local decision-making can identify 
which language(s) to use; in some contexts, a language of wider 
communication in which children are proficient may be feasible to use.
•
Education systems can phase in use of different languages as 
orthographies are standardized, materials are developed, teachers 
are trained, and experience is gained within the sector. 
•
Cost-benefit analyses indicate that initial start-up costs are recovered 
through higher retention rates and better learning outcomes when 
pupils learn and stay in school. Most significant recurrent costs in the 
education sector (e.g., teacher salaries and infrastructure) are not 
related to LOI.
•
Cost efficiencies can be realized through systematic planning of 
materials production; for example, materials developed in one 
language may be translated or adapted without incurring significant 

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