Language and Learning Foundation

Multilingual Classrooms: Not a Challenge, but an Opportunity for Learning

When children in a classroom speak different languages, teachers often face important questions: How can children's home languages become an integral part of the learning process? How can linguistic diversity be transformed from a challenge into a strength for learning? And when teachers do not speak their students' home languages, what strategies can they use to build meaningful classroom interactions?

This webinar will bring together perspectives from policy, research, and classroom practice to explore these questions. Dr. Abhinav Kumar will share Jharkhand's journey towards Multilingual Education (MLE), highlighting the state's initiatives and key challenges. Dr. Mahendra Kumar Mishra will discuss practical strategies for leveraging linguistic diversity to enhance learning and for effectively engaging children whose home languages are unfamiliar to the teacher. Pranay Saha, a government school teacher, will share firsthand classroom experiences, challenges, and practices that have positively influenced children's learning.

From policy to practice, join us to explore how multilingualism can be transformed into a powerful resource for effective teaching and meaningful learning."

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"The challenge, therefore, is no longer one of policy intent or implementation effort alone, but of understanding what happens inside classrooms that enables—or constrains—learning."

India has made significant strides in prioritising Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN) through the National Education Policy 2020, the National Curriculum Framework for the Foundational Stage, and the NIPUN Bharat Mission. Yet improving learning outcomes requires looking beyond policy and assessments to understand what actually happens inside classrooms.

The Teaching and Learning Practices Survey (TLPS) 2025 was conceived to fill this critical evidence gap. By documenting classroom processes at scale through both classroom observations and structured teacher interviews, the Survey makes visible not only what children learn, but how classroom experiences shape those outcomes.

In this article, Jyotsna K, Program Manager, Tata Trusts, reflects on why evidence from inside classrooms matters, how TLPS fills a long-standing gap in India's education evidence base, and what these insights mean for strengthening foundational learning systems.

Read the full article here: https://languageandlearningfoundation.org/looking-inside-classrooms/

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Looking Inside Classrooms: Why Evidence Matters - languageandlearningfoundation India's foundational education policy has, over the past five years, moved with unusual speed and coherence. The National Education Policy 2020 identified

Building a Strong Statewide Ecosystem for Early Childhood Education in Uttar Pradesh

From 6–31 July 2026, the Department of Basic Education Uttar Pradesh, through the Pre-Primary Unit, Samagra Shiksha, Secondary Education, Uttar Pradesh, successfully conducted the State-Level ECCE Core Group/Master Trainers Training at the Deen Dayal Upadhyaya State Institute of Rural Development, Lucknow.

The month-long capacity-building programme was implemented with technical support from Language and Learning Foundation, Central Square Foundation and Room to Read.

Conducted across 7 batches, the programme brought together approximately 400 participants from all 75 districts of Uttar Pradesh, including Nodal SRGs, Nodal ARPs, Nodal Shikshak Sankuls, Nodal DIET Mentors, and DC NIPUN/DC Training, who will now lead district- and block-level capacity-building programmes to strengthen Balvatika implementation across the state.

Designed as an intensive five-day residential programme, the training aimed to build a shared understanding of Kriyasheel Balvatika, strengthen mentoring and supportive supervision practices, promote play-based pedagogy, deepen participants' understanding of Balvatika academic resources, and prepare them to support high-quality classroom implementation.

A key feature of the programme was the Balvatika Exposure Visit, organised on Day 3 of each training batch, during which participants visited 10 Government Balvatika classrooms to observe teaching-learning processes, interact with Balvatika educators and Head Teachers, and reflect on effective classroom practices.

The programme was led by the Pre-Primary Unit, Samagra Shiksha, under the leadership of Dr. Devendra Srivastava, UIC, Pre-Primary Unit, and Smt. Shikha Shukla, Pre-Primary Unit. Their guidance was instrumental in the planning, academic design, mentoring, monitoring and successful implementation of the training programme. The programme also witnessed the active engagement of senior leadership from the Government of Uttar Pradesh, reaffirming the state's commitment to making Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) a key priority.

As these trained ECCE Core Groups now lead district- and block-level capacity-building efforts across the state, the programme marks another important milestone in strengthening the quality of Early Childhood Education and ensuring a strong foundation for every child's learning journey.

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The Multilingual Education (MLE) initiative in Bastar district of Chhattisgarh has expanded across 6,937 primary schools, reaching over 260,000 children and supported by 7,650 specially trained teachers. The program incorporates nine distinct local languages and regional variants including Halbi, Bhatri, Dhurvi, Chhattisgarhi, Dorli, Madia, and three variants of Gondi (Kanker, Bastar, and Dantewada) - enabling classrooms to directly reflect the linguistic map of the region.

The choice was made to have the textbooks and primers produced in diglot: Hindi on the left side and a local Tribal Language on the right. The materials are printed using the Devanagari script, enabling non-native teachers to easily read and speak the local text.

Aligned directly with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, the pedagogical strategy uses the home language as a foundational bridge, allowing children to build core literacy skills before slowly transitioning into Hindi as a second language.

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Shri Vishnu Deo Sai noted:

“The multilingual education initiative is firmly aligned with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and safeguards indigenous culture. A child’s first language establishes the strongest possible foundation for lifelong academic achievement.”

As the initiative continues to evolve, its success will depend on expanding the diglot model beyond Class II and continually evaluating whether the learning materials truly reflect the lived cultural realities of the children using them.

Read the full story: https://www.newindianexpress.com/india/2026/Jul/13/bastar-gets-books-in-tribal-tongues-under-nep](https://www.newindianexpress.com/india/2026/Jul/13/bastar-gets-books-in-tribal-tongues-under-nep)

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It's happening tomorrow!

What does it take to implement multilingual education across a school system? What can we learn from the experience of the Bastar programme?

Join us for NCMLEI Webinar #7 on Multilingual Education (MLE) Practices in India: A Process Study of the Bastar Programme – Key Findings and Recommendations.

Since 2022, Language and Learning Foundation's (LLF) Neev programme has introduced multilingual education across Grades 1 to 3 in Bastar, Chhattisgarh, using children's home languages alongside Hindi to strengthen foundational literacy and numeracy. What began in 200 schools has since expanded to all 1,524 primary schools in the district.

In this webinar, Pushpam Kumar Jha will present findings from a process documentation study of the programme, drawing on teacher surveys, classroom observations, in-depth interviews and community focus group discussions. The session will examine how multilingual education was implemented, the factors that enabled the programme, the challenges encountered, and the implications for policy and practice.

Join us to explore the study's findings and what they suggest for multilingual education in India.

Date: 24 July

Time: 3.00 pm to 4.00 pm IST

Speaker: Pushpam Kumar Jha (Senior Specialist, Multilingual Education, Language and Learning Foundation)

Register here: https://lnkd.in/dvbuKBYx

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Language and Learning Foundation (LLF), along with Tata Trusts Trust and the State Council of Educational Research & Training (SCERT), Chhattisgarh, released the state-level Teaching and Learning Practices Survey (TLPS) 2025 report at SCERT, Raipur.

The launch was attended by representatives from SCERT Chhattisgarh, District Institutes of Education and Training (DIETs), Samagra Shiksha, education department officials, academic experts and development partners. The report was unveiled in the presence of Mr J.P. Rath, Additional Director, SCERT Chhattisgarh; Padma Shri Awardee Mahendra Kumar Mishra, Trustee and National Advisor - Multilingual Education, LLF; and other senior stakeholders.

The Chhattisgarh study draws on classroom observations carried out in Kabeerdham and Narayanpur districts between November 2024 and March 2025. During this period, researchers observed 100 teachers teaching Grades 1 and 2 across 100 classrooms.

The survey noted that 66% of teachers were aware of the home languages spoken by children in their classrooms. It also found that multigrade classrooms remain common in the surveyed schools, highlighting the realities many teachers navigate on a daily basis. In 82% of classrooms, teachers did not regularly observe or monitor children's work during group or individual tasks. Teachers in 70% of classrooms did not show attempts to differentiate instruction based on children’s learning level.

The report points to areas that could strengthen classroom learning further, including increasing opportunities for children to participate during lessons, drawing more connections between classroom activities and children's lived experiences, using home languages as a learning resource and encouraging greater use of teaching-learning materials.

The event concluded with a discussion on how the findings can be used to support teachers and strengthen classroom practice across the state.

Read the full report here: https://languageandlearningfoundation.org/teaching-learning-practices-survey/

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Strengthening instructional leadership begins with strengthening the systems that support Block Education Officers (BEOs).

Drawing on insights from The '13-Headed' Wrench: India's Block Education Officers' Quest for Purpose, LLF's policy recommendations present a roadmap for enabling BEOs to balance their administrative and academic responsibilities more effectively. They recognise that instructional leadership depends not only on individual commitment, but also on systems that provide role clarity, professional trust, autonomy, and sustained support.

By realigning roles and responsibilities, strengthening pedagogical leadership, and building responsive support systems, these recommendations aim to create the conditions for BEOs to fulfil both their administrative and instructional mandates while better supporting schools, teachers, and children's learning.

Explore the carousel to discover the key recommendations.

Read the full report here:https://languageandlearningfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/BEO-Report-Digital-FINAL.pdf

The BEO Diagnostic Study was anchored by LLF's Continuous Professional Development (CPD) Unit, in close collaboration with the Research, Evaluation, Monitoring and Learning (REML) Unit, and undertaken in partnership with Anweshak Sathi LLP—a collaborative network of academics, researchers and educators working across education and gender, known for combining research rigour with practical programme design.

From LLF, the study was led by Shveta Lall (Lakhanpal) (Associate Director, CPD Unit), Sushant Dabral (Program Manager, Middle Layer, CPD Unit), Sahdev Panwar (Demo Lead, CPD Unit), and Dr. Aarti Mangal (Research Coordinator, REML Unit).

Dr Sarbani Chakraborty, Advisor – Research at LLF, played a pivotal role in shaping the study and finalising the report.

Ministry of Education Nipun Haryana Mission National Council of Educational Research and Training - NCERT British Asian Trust Gates Foundation HCLFoundation

What happens when children are taught in a language they already know?

In Bastar, only 5% of children entered school able to speak the language used for teaching. The Neev Multilingual Education Programme sought to bridge this gap by bringing Halbi, the children's home language, into the classroom. A recent process study examined how this played out in practice.

The findings point to meaningful shifts.

Where teachers used the home language more consistently, children participated more actively in reading and writing and remained more engaged during classroom activities. Progress was steady rather than immediate, showing that multilingual education strengthens learning over time.

The study also found a remarkable change in teacher perspectives. While many educators were initially hesitant, 90% now support the use of children's home language in the classroom, despite two-thirds of them not being native Halbi speakers.

Join *NCMLEI Webinar #7* on *24 July, 3:00 to 4:00 PM IST*, where Pushpam Kumar Jha, Senior Specialist - MLE, will present the key findings from the Bastar process study, along with practical lessons for implementation and recommendations for policy and practice.

Register here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfvI7aLAil_uyO5wQjpNBkFCHWWKhlWtxu88SbI7E8y9Qh76w/viewform

We look forward to having you with us. Please also share this invitation with colleagues and others who are interested in multilingual education.

The Block Education Officer (BEO) plays a pivotal role in India's education system, serving as a critical link between state priorities and classroom practice. Working at the block level, BEOs support schools, strengthen teaching and learning, enable implementation, and respond to local needs, making them central to improving educational outcomes.

To better understand this role, LLF undertook a diagnostic study across a representative sample of five districts in Uttar Pradesh. The findings are presented in our latest report, The '13-Headed Wrench': India's Block Education Officers' Quest for Purpose, which examines the roles and responsibilities of BEOs while shedding light on the barriers and challenges that shape implementation at the block level.

As India continues to strengthen its education system, recognising and investing in middle-tier leadership will be essential to translating policy into meaningful classroom practice.

Read the report:https://languageandlearningfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/BEO-Report-Digital-FINAL.pdf

The BEO Diagnostic Study was anchored by LLF's Continuous Professional Development (CPD) Unit, in close collaboration with the Research, Evaluation, Monitoring and Learning (REML) Unit, and undertaken in partnership with Anweshak Sathi LLP—a collaborative network of academics, researchers and educators working across education and gender, known for combining research rigour with practical programme design.

From LLF, the study was led by Shveta Lall (Lakhanpal) (Associate Director, CPD Unit), Sushant Dabral (Program Manager, Middle Layer, CPD Unit), Sahdev Panwar (Demo Lead, CPD Unit), and Dr. Aarti Mangal (Research Coordinator, REML Unit).

Dr Sarbani Chakraborty, Advisor – Research at LLF, played a pivotal role in shaping the study and finalising the report.

Ministry of Education, Nipun Haryana Mission SCERT UP National Council of Educational Research and Training - NCERT What Works Hub for Global Education Founders Pledge Gates Foundation British Asian Trust Deloitte HCLFoundation Vibha ideas42

What does it take to implement multilingual education across a school system? What can we learn from the experience of the Bastar programme?

Join us for NCMLEI Webinar #7 on Multilingual Education (MLE) Practices in India: A Process Study of the Bastar Programme – Key Findings and Recommendations.

Since 2022, Language and Learning Foundation's (LLF) Neev programme has introduced multilingual education across Grades 1 to 3 in Bastar, Chhattisgarh, using children's home languages alongside Hindi to strengthen foundational literacy and numeracy. What began in 200 schools has since expanded to all 1,524 primary schools in the district.

In this webinar, Pushpam Kumar Jha will present findings from a process documentation study of the programme, drawing on teacher surveys, classroom observations, in-depth interviews and community focus group discussions. The session will examine how multilingual education was implemented, the factors that enabled the programme, the challenges encountered, and the implications for policy and practice.

Join us to explore the study's findings and what they suggest for multilingual education in India.

Date: 24 July

Time: 3.00 pm to 4.00 pm IST

Speaker: Pushpam Kumar Jha (Senior Specialist, Multilingual Education, Language and Learning Foundation)

Register here: https://forms.gle/8j3sqTwfEaemxuE3A

Gates Foundation Ministry of Education National Council of Educational Research and Training - NCERT Deloitte HCLFoundation UNICEF Founders Pledge JEPC Jharkhand Tata Trusts