The Global Education Monitoring (GEM) team of UNESCO reports that 40% of the world's population lacks access to education in a language they can comprehend or speak.

Even though nations are becoming more aware of the importance of home language, there is still little policy adoption. It stated that the lack of resources in home languages, community resistance, and teachers' limited ability to use their own tongues are implementation obstacles.

In certain low- and middle-income nations, this percentage increases to 90%. In order to create educational systems that benefit all students, GEM authorities recommended that countries adopt multilingual education policies and practices, stating that over a quarter of a billion students are impacted.

The team published a study titled "Languages Matter: Global guidance on multilingual education" and pointed out that classrooms with students from different linguistic backgrounds are becoming more prevalent as linguistic diversity becomes a worldwide reality due to increased migration. Education for more than 31 million displaced youth is hampered by language obstacles.

On the 25th anniversary of International Mother Language Day, which commemorates 25 years of devoted work to protect and advance mother tongue usage, the report was put together.

The report was released while India was putting the new National Education Policy (NEP), which supports multilingual education, into effect. Other states have expressed objection to the three-language approach in education.

Globally, 40% of individuals do not have access to education in the language they speak and understand. In certain nations with low and moderate incomes, this percentage increases to 90%. The press said that a senior member of the GEM team stated that about a quarter of a billion students are affected.

First, it should be noted that learning levels in both reading and mathematics have drastically decreased throughout this decade, which has been characterized by the widespread impact of technology on young people's lives as well as the effects of COVID-19. The official went on to say that students who are at a disadvantage because of their language skills have been disproportionately affected.

The team's data shows that, on average, the difference between the two groups grew from 10 to 15 percentage points in mathematics and from 12 to 18 percentage points in reading between 2010 and 2022.

Context-specific techniques should be given priority in educational language regulations, according to the GEM team. Additionally, curricular modifications and grade-appropriate teaching and learning resources should facilitate language transfer.