Language, Development Aid and Human Rights in Education

The debate about languages of instruction in Africa and Asia involves an analysis of both the historical thrust of national government and also development aid policies. Using case studies from Tanzania, Nigeria, South Africa, Rwanda, India, Bangladesh and Malaysia, Zehlia Babaci-Wilhite argues that the colonial legacy is perpetuated when global languages are promoted in education. The use of local languages in instruction not only offers an effective means to contextualize the curriculum and improve student comprehension, but also to achieve quality education and rights in education.

“"Drawing on extensive personal research and comprehensive literature reviews, Dr. Zehlia Babaci-Wilhite's new book is a tour-de-force analysis of the continuing colonization of the mind fostered by the use of European languages in basic schooling in many African and Asian countries. This linguistic imperialism is meticulously connected to issues of education equity and quality, children's rights, international aid, and development. The book is a must-read for comparative and international educators." - Steven J. Klees, Harold R. W. Benjamin Professor of International & Comparative education, University of Maryland, USA "This book contributes to enlighten a crucial academic as well as a democratic and philosophical issue: The right to use your local language. It offers a high-level research and the work is both cutting edge and offers new knowledge to the fields of democracy, human rights and education." - Inga Bostad, Professor of Philosophy & Director of the Norwegian Centre for Human Rights, University of Oslo, Norway"This book illuminates the use of local languages of instruction and local curriculum for quality learning which is not only a human right worldwide, but it is also a 'fundamental' human right. Recommended to education scholars, policy makers and practitioners." - Jerome I. Okonkwo, Professor of Philosophy & Vice Chancellor Administrator, Imo State University, Nigeria.”

Zehlia Babaci-Wilhite is Visiting Assistant Professor at the University of California-Berkeley, USA and a Research Affiliate at the Norwegian Center for Human Rights, University of Oslo, Norway. She has numerous publications and taught courses in Norway, Japan, India, France & Nigeria on issues related to language and culture, development & human rights.

With a Foreword by Martin Carnoy. The debate about languages of instruction in Africa and Asia involves an analysis of both the historical thrust of national government and also development aid policies. Using case studies from Tanzania, Nigeria, South Africa, Rwanda, India, Bangladesh and Malaysia, Zehlia Babaci-Wilhite argues that the colonial legacy is perpetuated when global languages are promoted in education. The use of local languages in instruction not only offers an effective means to contextualize the curriculum and improve student comprehension, but also to achieve quality education and rights in education. Evidence that science literacy is better served through local languages and adapted to local contexts is put forward with a new vision for science learning that invests cutting edge technologies with local context. This vision is crucial to the African and Asian development on their own terms and should take its rightful place as a human right in education.

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