Africa/Global: UNESCO's Director-General highlights the importance of mother tongue education

“Mother tongue languages should be favoured in education systems from the earliest age,” said UNESCO Director-General Koïchiro Matsuura in his message for International Mother Tongue Language Day 2004. “It is widely acknowledged nowadays,” he added, “that teaching in both the mother tongue and the official national language helps children to obtain better results and stimulates their cognitive development and capacity to learn.” However, a survey being undertaken by UNESCO indicates that although the use of mother tongue languages as a medium of instruction is gaining ground, few countries have incorporated the idea into their education systems.