A report has concluded that millions of children worldwide are being denied education because they cannot understand the language being used.

Of 75 million children not in education, 54 million are missing out due to the language barrier, the international children's rights organization Save the Children claimed last month.

Countries with a greater number of spoken languages were the worst affected. The report revealed that over 220 million children are taught in a language other than that used in their homes.

In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, for example, school is taught in French – yet most children's first language is a local language, such as Lingala, Kiswahili, Kikongo or Tshiluba. China, India and Indonesia were also singled out as linguistically diverse countries, where often very few students speak their school's language as a first language.

"Not being able to understand the language used for teaching is a major reason why children drop out of school or fail to do well," said Helen Pinnock of Save the Children. "It contributes to millions of children missing out on a decent education simply because they can't speak the school language."

The report found that linguistically disadvantaged children perform worse in tests. It also said that over time, the exclusion of some language groups can hinder economic growth, and lead to social and political conflict.

Save the Children advises that children be taught in their mother tongue for at least six years, while gradually being introduced to other languages.

"The money that is being invested in education would go a lot further if it were focused on children understanding their lessons," Pinnock said. "In countries where children aren't taught in their first language, breaking down language barriers is one of the best ways of tackling dropout and poor educational performance."

06 December 2009