Section II 7 Why the implementation of linguistic rights is particularly important The importance of language rights is straightforward: in addition to the obligation to respect human rights, there are important implications of language use that go to the core of inclusion and participation in a society with minorities. 1) It improves access to and the quality of education for minority children Minority children around the world are much more likely to receive little or no formal education. According to the World Bank: “Fifty percent of the world’s out of school children live in communities where the language of the schooling is rarely, if ever, used at home. This underscores the biggest challenge to achieving Education for All: a legacy of non-productive practices that lead to low levels of learning and high levels of dropout and repetition”.2 When the mother tongue is used as the medium of instruction for at least 6–8 years, the results are impressive: enhanced self-confidence, self-esteem and classroom participation by minority children,3 lower dropout rates, higher levels of academic achievement,4 longer periods in school, better performance in tests and greater fluency and literacy abilities for minority (and indigenous) children in both the mother tongue and the official or dominant language.5 In Mali, there is a 32% higher pass rate for children taught in their own language (blue) compared to those taught in the official language (French) alone. Chart 1: End-of-primary Examination Pass Rates, 1994-2000 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 Source: World Bank, In Their Own Language: Education for All (World Bank: Washington, DC, 2005). 2 3 4 5 World Bank, In Their Own Language, Education for All, (World Bank: Washington, 2005). Alidou, H. et al., Optimizing Learning and Education in Africa: The Language Factor, Stock-taking Review on Mother-Tongue and Bilingual Education in sub-Saharan Africa, Association for the Development of Education in Africa (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit: Paris, 2006). UNESCO, Improving the Quality of Mother Tongue-based Literacy and Learning: Case Studies from Asia, Africa and South America (UNESCO: Bangkok, 2008). UNESCO, EFA Global Monitoring Report 2014: Teaching and Learning (UNESCO: Paris, 2014).