VISITS TO MLE PROJECT SITES

The SEAMEO Multi-lingual Education (MLE) Core Group went on a brief study tour in Thailand and China to gain exposure on the actual implementation of effective and sustainable mother tongue-based MLE programs.

The group, composed of officials and representatives from SEAMEO Centers and Ministries of Education in the region, visited the Mon-Thai Bilingual Project for the Mon Community in Kanchanaburi, Thailand, and the Bai/Han Bilingual Education Project in Jinchuan County in Yunnan, China.

The visits provided the opportunity to interact on the areas of the curriculum, learning materials, advocacy and support activities with project implementers, learners and community members. Apart from this, the visits facilitated better understanding and appreciation of the innovations in MLE teaching and learning. The MLE project sites in Thailand and China were chosen because of the importance these project sites gave in the preservation of non-dominant languages and indigenous community traditions.

The study tour is the third of a series of activities lined up for Phase 2 of the tie-up project between SEAMEO and World Bank, dubbed “Enhancing Awareness and Building the Capacity of SEAMEO in Establishing Mother Tongue-Based MLE Programs in Southeast Asia.” Other major activities under this project, slated from March to December 2010, are the conduct of two regional training workshops, conduct of national training workshops, development of technical guidelines, production of advocacy materials, and reporting of updates and project gains during SEAMEO meetings.