UNESCO released a report titled Languages Matter: Global Guidance on Multilingual Education

The study was created on February 21, the 25th anniversary of International Mother Language Day, and marks 25 years of dedicated work to preserve and promote the use of mother tongues.

Key Findings in the Report

• Nearly 40 percent of the world's population does not have access to education in a language they can understand or speak.
• This ratio exceeds 90% in several low- and middle-income countries.
• India ranks fourth out of the ten countries with the most spoken languages.
• The employment of at least three languages in the classroom—the mother tongue, a regional or national language, and an international language—is known as multilingual education (MLE), according to UNESCO.
• Additionally, India's 2020 New Education Policy promotes the three-language approach.

UNESCO's World Atlas of Languages estimates that 8,324 languages are spoken or signed worldwide.

The main challenges in multilingual education are: Limited Resources There are few resources available for teaching and learning in several languages, and teachers are not sufficiently qualified.

Opposition to the strategy, particularly from those who prefer foreign or national languages over regional ones.