The document at hand is a stocktaking research that assesses comprehensively the experiences of mother tongue and bilingual education programmes in sub-Saharan Africa. Its overall conclusion can be summarised as Language is not Everything in Education, but without Language, Everything is nothing in Education (quote from E. Wolff chapter two).
The need for the research arose out of the 2003 Biennial Meeting “Improving the Quality of Education in sub-Saharan Africa”Association of the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA) (visit www.adeanet.org for more information).
One of the major themes discussed during the 2003 Biennial Meeting was the relevance of adapting curricula and the use of African languages. The contributions on mother tongue education and bilingual education created a momentum for intense discussions and a need for further research.