Assessing multilingual teacher competencies

Myanmar, with a population of 53 million, has 117 recognized languages. Over 23 million people speak one of the seven primary indigenous languages: Shan, Mon, Rakhine (Rohingya), Chin, Kachin, Karenni (Kayah), and Karen (Kayin). From January 2011 to January 2021, under a democratically elected government, government schools exclusively used the national language for instruction. This language is often unfamiliar to many ethnolinguistic minorities until they attend school. A study evaluated the proficiency of 16 teachers in multilingual education (MLE) in southeastern Myanmar and a temporary shelter on the Thai-Myanmar border. Remarkably, 94% of these ethnic and refugee teachers met the MLE competency standards, facilitating students' transition from their mother tongue to Burmese or English. This study was a collaborative effort with organizations including KECD, KNGY, KTWG, MNEC, RISE, KRC–EE, and World Education Thailand and Myanmar.