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Ludmila Golovine is a global advocate for language rights and digital inclusion. As CEO of MasterWord, a UNESCO partner for the International Decade of Indigenous Languages, she has worked for over 30 years to advance language equity. Co-founding initiatives like the Mayan Languages Digitization & Preservation Project and the SAFE-AI Task Force, she is a leader in ensuring language access in both education and digital spaces. 

Despite the recognized benefits of instruction in one's mother tongue, globally 40% of the learners still do not have access to education in the language they understand. This not only limits students’ ability to progress academically but also leads to a continued cycle of poverty.  Research shows that children who begin their education in their mother tongue achieve better outcomes, yet many countries still do not support mother tongue education.   

Lack of digital access disproportionately affects speakers of marginalized and Indigenous languages. As of 2024, according to the World Economic Forum, 2.6 billion people remain without internet access. Of the more than 7,000 languages in active use, only a few hundred have a digital presence, and the top 10 languages account for 85% of online content. This results in a lack of educational resources and materials. 

Lack of teacher training for mother tongue education is another challenge most communities continue to face. Without trained educators, the effectiveness of mother tongue instruction is severely limited. 

Among success stories to be noted is that of the Sámi community, where educational policies ensure that Sámi students have the right to mother-tongue instruction, with some regions offering full Sámi-language education. Sámi kindergartens, bilingual schools, and teacher training programmes have helped revitalize the language among younger generations. 

Building a strong multilingual education system requires a deliberate and coordinated effort. First, governments must prioritize policies that recognize mother-tongue instruction as fundamental, ensuring language access is embedded in national education strategies.  

Teacher training and curriculum development are equally important. Schools need textbooks, digital resources, and assessments in mother tongue languages.  

Beyond the classroom, community engagement plays a vital role. Indigenous and marginalized language communities must have a seat at the table in shaping education policies and curriculum development. 

Finally, technology such as digital tools, educational apps, and remote learning platforms can expand access to mother-tongue instruction, particularly in rural areas. But for this to work, digital infrastructure must reach underserved communities, and digital presence must be ensured for all languages. Governments must support community led digitization initiatives, create policies to protect Indigenous data sovereignty and change their procurement policies to require that large tech companies include Indigenous and marginalized languages in their platforms.  

Successful multilingual education models already exist and offer clear pathways for scaling. Government support and a shift in perception about the importance of mother tongue education are essential for creating sustainable change.  

Among promising practices are community lead initiatives like the Mayan Languages Preservation & Digitization Project.  The project is creating a practical roadmap to digitization with immediate classroom application in a community school. Starting by creating talking glossaries and keyboards and working on building digital tools that are immediately being used for education and by community members. 

When communities have the tools to develop and sustain multilingual education, they create lasting change. Whether through policy reform, digital innovation, or grassroots action, the goal is clear: ensuring that every learner has access to education in a language they understand.