If people answer a strong“ NO” to the last three questions, it will be difficult to get community support for an MTB MLE programme. However, sometimes people have not yet understood the importance of language in education. They may not realize that their heritage language is in danger because children hear and use only the official language in school and are starting to forget their MT. Programme leaders may take“ no” as a reason to start a good awareness-raising campaign for MTB MLE.
When they do have community support for MTB MLE, programme leaders need additional information. Here are examples of questions to ask:
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Who can write stories in the MT about people and activities that are familiar and interesting for children in each grade?
•• Who can edit the stories and check that the language is written correctly?
•• Who can draw pictures that will help children understand the text on each page?
•• Are there people who can serve as teachers?
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Which women and men are experts in the culture and can identify traditional wisdom and practices that can be used in classrooms and put into books?
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What buildings, equipment and other resources might be available for materials development and training?
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How can the community support MTB MLE teachers?
Programme leaders also need to identify problems that might hinder or even stop the programme so they can plan possible actions before the problems arise. Examples of questions to ask:
Including the Excluded: Promoting Multilingual Education
•• What happens to local roads and rivers during the rainy season?
•• Do parents migrate to different areas for farming or work and take their children?
•• Do the school and / or teachers’ houses need repair?
•• Are there separate clean toilet facilities for girls and for boys on the school grounds?
•• Is the water safe for students to drink?
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Is there a place to store books and other classroom materials so they will be safe from rain, rats and insects?
Also, in regard to identifying potential problems, programme leaders need to talk with the principal and teachers in the local school. What do they know about MTB MLE? Do they understand why and how it helps children learn? As the example from Liberia( p. 13) demonstrates, community members might be very supportive of MTB MLE but if the school principal and other staff or local officials do not understand and support it, they can stop the programme before it begins.
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