PHNOM PENH (Cambodia Herald) - Cambodia is recognized as a role model in the Asia-Pacific region for its mother-tongue based bilingual education program, United Nations agencies said Tuesday.
In a statement marking International Mother Tongue Day, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF) said the program had enabled minority children and adults, who do not speak Khmer at home, to access quality basic education.
The joint statement noted that UNICEF-backed evaluation of bilingual education last year called for the creation of a Center for Cambodian Languages within existing academic structures to coordinate linguistic processes, promote the development of minority languages and document existing written materials in each language.
While Khmer is the official national language spoken by an estimated 96.3 per cent of Cambodians, around 20 languages are spoken across the country.
The statement said Cambodia had successfully expanded a relatively small-scale pilot program in three provinces to a widespread bilingual education approach for non-native Khmer speakers in state schools and communities in the northeastern provinces of Ratanakiri, Mondulkiri, Stung Treng, Preah Vihear and Kratie.
It also noted that the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports had approved standardized writing systems for five languages, namely Kreung, Tampuan, Brao, Kavet and Phnong, and had also adopted bilingual education guidelines on implementing education for indigenous children in highland provinces in 2010. The ministry has also developed a Bilingual Education Picture Dictionary in the Brao language with UNESCO support
"Excluded population groups, such as indigenous peoples, are often those whose mother tongues are ignored by education systems," UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova said.
"Allowing them to learn from a very early age in their mother tongue, and then in national, official or other languages, promotes equality and social inclusion."
Anne Lemaistre, the UNESCO Representative to Cambodia, said language was an "essential component to encourage mutual understanding and to ensure cultural diversity and sustainability.
"Mother-tongue based bilingual and multilingual education has a positive impact on learning outcomes for children and adults. Having strong literacy and basic education in mother tongue will help learners to build a solid foundation and help them to build a good bridge."
Richard Bridle, UNICEF Representative to Cambodia, said all children need to have access to equitable and quality education. "That includes children from minority communities and those who are hardest-to-reach," he said.
In coming years, UNESCO and UNICEF said they would continue supporting the bilingual and multilingual education programme by developing manuals in indigenous languages and supporting indigenous language radio programs in four different languages in Ratanakiri. The statement noted that UNESCO had recently released two publications on the Kuay language and Phnong culture in English, French and Khmer.
In a statement marking International Mother Tongue Day, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF) said the program had enabled minority children and adults, who do not speak Khmer at home, to access quality basic education.
The joint statement noted that UNICEF-backed evaluation of bilingual education last year called for the creation of a Center for Cambodian Languages within existing academic structures to coordinate linguistic processes, promote the development of minority languages and document existing written materials in each language.
While Khmer is the official national language spoken by an estimated 96.3 per cent of Cambodians, around 20 languages are spoken across the country.
The statement said Cambodia had successfully expanded a relatively small-scale pilot program in three provinces to a widespread bilingual education approach for non-native Khmer speakers in state schools and communities in the northeastern provinces of Ratanakiri, Mondulkiri, Stung Treng, Preah Vihear and Kratie.
It also noted that the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports had approved standardized writing systems for five languages, namely Kreung, Tampuan, Brao, Kavet and Phnong, and had also adopted bilingual education guidelines on implementing education for indigenous children in highland provinces in 2010. The ministry has also developed a Bilingual Education Picture Dictionary in the Brao language with UNESCO support
"Excluded population groups, such as indigenous peoples, are often those whose mother tongues are ignored by education systems," UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova said.
"Allowing them to learn from a very early age in their mother tongue, and then in national, official or other languages, promotes equality and social inclusion."
Anne Lemaistre, the UNESCO Representative to Cambodia, said language was an "essential component to encourage mutual understanding and to ensure cultural diversity and sustainability.
"Mother-tongue based bilingual and multilingual education has a positive impact on learning outcomes for children and adults. Having strong literacy and basic education in mother tongue will help learners to build a solid foundation and help them to build a good bridge."
Richard Bridle, UNICEF Representative to Cambodia, said all children need to have access to equitable and quality education. "That includes children from minority communities and those who are hardest-to-reach," he said.
In coming years, UNESCO and UNICEF said they would continue supporting the bilingual and multilingual education programme by developing manuals in indigenous languages and supporting indigenous language radio programs in four different languages in Ratanakiri. The statement noted that UNESCO had recently released two publications on the Kuay language and Phnong culture in English, French and Khmer.
5 comments:
That's good, I have many relatives in Cambodia that are bilingual or multi-lingual in Khmer, Lao, and Brao, a Khmer Loeu language. They all speak Khmer fluently, while maintaining their ethnic background.
Is this telling Cambodia to learn Youn(Viet) as a second language? VSL?
What about my Khmer in Thailand.
When the Unesco will open their eyes, see the situation and interfear with the problem of mother-tongued of the Khmer descent in Thailand ?
For how many years more, they have to live by the Thai oppressed authority ?
5:12 PM
Khmer in Cambodia don't need to learn Youn, because we have Khmer Krom, who speak well youn.
Only Youn Khmer need to learn their mother-tongue.
5:14 PM, Yes i have the same idea that Unesco should pressure the Thai and the Viet governments to let Khmers living in their countries study the Khmer language. After all, there are more than 10 million Khmers living in these two countries who have been deprived of their language and cultural heritage for centuries.
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