Prof. Angeline M. Barrett will present on Planning for transition: coherent curriculum design for multilingual education to the Community of Practice on Foundational Learning hosted by the Global Schools Forum Thursday, Nov 28, 2024 11:00 am UK | 02:00pm EAT | 04:30pm IST Registration link . Her presentation will be based on findings of curriculum analysis, conducted as part of the Evaluating Language Supportive Approaches to Transition at Scale project, funded by the British Council. Further information . Full report: Barrett, A.M., Biseko, J.M., Clegg, J., Mbwafu, F.A., Ndabakurane, J.J., Sane, E., Wayimba, S.J. & Bowden, R. (2024). Language learning across transition in the language of learning and teaching: An analysis of the Tanzanian curriculum . Bristol Working Papers in Education #03/2024, May 2024, School of Education, University of Bristol.

By Angeline M. Barrett The Network sponsored keynote presentations by  Professors Anders Björkvall  (Örebro University, Sweden), Sulochini Pather (University of the Western Cape, South Africa) and Angeline Barrett (University of Bristol, UK). Dr. Justin Zelime, Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Social Development, UniSey provided the first keynote. It also sponsored the participation of Dr. Eliakimu Sane (University of Dodoma) and Dr. Maryam Ismail (State University of Zanzibar -SUZA), who presented on language supportive pedagogy (LSP) in Zanzibar and findings from the recent ELSATS  project. Anders Björkvall highlighted his research on the use of digital pens with tablets in primary schools in Sweden as a positive innovation that responded to a backlash against digitalization of classrooms in Sweden. The digital pens provide a ‘third way’ between exclusive development of laptops for writing and exclusive use of traditional pen and paper, allowing children to develop both handwriting and digital communication skills. Sulochini Pather presented on inclusion in African education systems, arguing that inclusion was not just about adaptations for students with special needs but inclusion of all children. Efforts towards inclusion for all should start from exploring understandings of inclusion within African societies, such as the concept of Ubuntu  in Southern Africa (an ethical orientation that emphasizes community and co-dependence as a condition of humanity) or Ushirikishwaji  in Tanzania (the active involvement of learners in classroom activities). Justin Zelime continued this theme, overviewing ongoing research on the status of Kreol Seselwa and English within the Seychelles education system and arguing for the use of Kreol Seselwa as a support language throughout all levels of formal education. In the lively discussion that followed, participants pointed out the importance of Kreol Seselwa for developing cross-linguistic skills and communication across generations. The distinctiveness of different disciplinary language practices was also emphasized. Watch this space! Papers from the Innovation for Inclusion Symposium, including the keynotes, will be published next year in a Special Issue of the Seychelles Research Journal . Watch out for news of the launch at languagesupportive.com .

A report of he Innovation for Inclusion conference appeared in the Oman Observer recently. See below: https://www.omanobserver.om/article/1160302/oman/education/omani-academics-discuss-inclusive-education-in-seychelles

By Angeline M. Barrett , Maryam Ismail  and Eliakimu Sane Multilingual education (MLE) was a central theme of the recent symposium in the Seychelles titled ‘ Innovation for Inclusion’ . The symposium was hosted by the University of Seychelles  (UniSey) and the Seychelles Institute of Teacher Education (SITE) in collaboration with the MLE in sub-Saharan Africa network and the Seychelles Ministry of Education . Our conference highlights MLE was also the subject of presentations by Prof. Mats Deutschmann  (Örebro University) and Dr. Anthony Essien  (University of Witswatersrand). Mats argued the case for Kreol Studies to be included in the secondary school curriculum. Anthony got us all thinking about the affordances of African languages for the teaching and learning of mathematics through an engaging presentation on multilingual education in South African primary schools. For us, as visitors from Tanzania and the UK, the symposium was an opportunity to learn about education in the Seychelles, most especially through presentations from school leaders and staff in the Ministry of Education.  It is well known that Seychelles is a leader in the East African region with respect to the SDG4 targets. Amina Afif’s presentation explained how the Ministry of Education is facilitating school leaders’ autonomy to drive quality improvement. Amina’s presentation reminded us of the importance of local ownership and the need to empower teachers to employ the pedagogy that works best for learners. This autonomy was demonstrated in presentations by Maria May Adrienne and Andre Servina, who had each conducted systematic inquiries to address underachievement in their respective secondary schools. One of the most thought-provoking discussions at the conference centred around the language of instruction. The debate voiced critical concerns about the balance between global languages, like English, and local languages in education. Many attendees questioned which language should take precedence in the classroom. While English is often seen as the gateway to global opportunities, local languages offer a deep connection to culture and can foster greater engagement for learners. There was a broad agreement that although English is regarded as an important global language, local languages hold cultural significance and offer deeper engagement for learners. This conversation goes beyond simple language preference-it touches on issues of equity, identity, and accessibility in education. Should schools and universities focus on teaching in global languages to boost competitiveness on the world stage? Or should they embrace local languages to preserve cultural identity and ensure learning is accessible to all? It’s a challenging dilemma that education systems around the world need to thoughtfully balance, especially in multicultural and multilingual settings. The presentation by the Seychelles Tourism Academy (STA), delivered by Mosianne Dugasse and Brigitte Joubert, highlighted the importance of learning more languages for students in the tourism sector. In today’s interconnected world, the ability to communicate in multiple languages is becoming increasingly vital, especially in industries like tourism. At the Seychelles Tourism Academy (STA), the importance of language learning is emphasized as a cornerstone for preparing future tourism professionals. Learning languages beyond one's native tongue is not just about enhancing communication; it’s about enriching cultural understanding and providing better services to international visitors. Thanks to the organisers We extend heartfelt thanks to all the members of the organising committee for all the hard work that went into bring us all together on World Teachers’ Day : Ronia, Reuben, Vicky , Mavis, Jean-Marc and Patsy.  The event would not have been possible without the tireless IT support from Solo and his team. Our special thanks go to Mats Deutschmann and Christine Pejakovic (Director of UniSey’s Education and Socio-Economic Research Institute ), who went out of their way to make us feel welcome in the Seychelles. Watch this space! Papers from the Innovation for Inclusion Symposium will be published next year in a Special Issue of the Seychelles Research Journal . Watch out for news of the launch at languagesupportive.com .

Angeline M. Barrett presented at the 2024 Conference of the British Association of International and Comparative Education (BAICE), 3-5 September 2024. This year the conference was held at the University of Sussex, near Brighton and was on the theme: Transgression and Transformation: (re)bordering education in times of conflict and crisis Angeline's presentation was titled: Decolonizing theory, practice and policy through language transgression: insights from Tanzania. Abstract The idea that a quality education uses English (or another imperial language) for learning and teaching is a powerful and enduring form of coloniality. Recent empirical research on secondary education in Tanzania, found that ‘English only’ policies at school and state level legitimized epistemic, structural and direct violence. Through analysis of curriculum documents together with classroom and interview research in 16 schools, we identified interlocking steps for decolonizing theory, practice and policy of language in education. The theoretical step, found in sociolinguistic scholarship, is to reconceptualize language as situated and fluid social practices, which may draw on one or more recognized languages. This frees learning to be a process of epistemic transgression through a continual cycle of crossing and re-crossing, dissolving and reconstructing boundaries between specified curriculum and indigenous knowledge. The second step is pedagogic improvisation, demonstrated by teachers, who transgressed ‘English only’ policies to open up multilingual dialogue between learner, teacher and subject matter.  The third step concerns curriculum and policy. It requires removing regulation of ‘which language’ should be used in classrooms and focusing instead on coherent curriculum planning for language learning across languages, across educational phases and across curriculum subjects.

By Eliakimu Sane With the invaluable support of the Swedish Research Council and the British Council, Eliakimu Sane attended the Inaugural East African Community Education Conference, which celebrated the AU Year of Education from 12 to 15 August 2024 at the Arusha International Conference Centre in Tanzania. The conference theme was Educate an African Fit for the 21st Century: Building Resilient Education Systems for Increased Access to Inclusive, Lifelong, Quality, and Relevant Learning in Africa.  The East African Community organised the conference in partnership with the African Union and various educational stakeholders, attracting over 400 participants, including policymakers, educators, and representatives from civil society and academia. Eliakimu alongside colleagues John Simpson (British Council), Almaz Baraki (Ethiopia) and Jean-Pierre Mugiraneza (Rwanda)led key discussions on Creating Fit-for-Purpose 21st Century Language in Education Policy and Practice .

In July some of our team, namely Justin Zelime, Eliakimu Sane and Maryam Ismail attended the International Society for Academics in Research conference on Zanzibar. They presented several papers, including a paper introducing the Understanding project - Supporting understanding in the classroom through the understanding of curricula structures with Justin Zelime as main presenter. Maryam and Eliakimu were also main presenters for a paper titled: Empowering Teachers for Multilingual Success: Integrating Language-Supportive Pedagogy in Pre-Service Training and Curricula Structure. We are also looking forward to the conference publication where we have contributed with an article titled: Empowering Teachers for Multilingual Success: Integrating Language-Supportive Pedagogy in Pre-Service Training and Curricula Structure.

Angeline Barrett presented a paper co-authored with Lizzi Milligan, Eliakimu Sane and Rachel Bowden at the XVIII World Congress of Comparative Education Societies, 22-26 July 2024 Angeline presented in the online programme of the conference, which was held at Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA. The paper was titled: Multilingual education for sustainable development in sub-Saharan Africa: Towards epistemic inclusion Abstract Multilingual education is necessary for epistemically inclusive education for sustainable development. Sustainable development requires education that transgresses boundaries between schools and other communities for social learning.  We argue that in multilingual societies, where the language of education is not widely spoken in the local community, this is contingent on using learners’ familiar language in the classroom. Our argument is made particularly in relation to lower secondary education, now defined by the Education Sustainable Development as the final stage of basic education, which should be free and compulsory for all. Across sub-Saharan Africa, with a very few exceptions, official policy mandates use of a dominant, European language, for learning and teaching in secondary school, even when this means using a language that is unfamiliar to the majority of learners. Additive multilingual education that develops learners’ familiar language(s) alongside introducing more dominant high status languages for academic learning enhances epistemic access to the specified curriculum. However sustainable development requires social learning that opens up new epistemic and ontological possibilities for the re-contextualization and reinterpretation of knowledge(s) for sustainable development sustainable development. Within the paper, we expand on our conceptualization of epistemic inclusion in relation to participation in classroom meaning making processes. The evidence basis for our argument is drawn from a recent configurative literature review, which took in over 160 documents, including peer-reviewed papers, book chapters and grey literature, which were mainly but not exclusively concerned with school education in East Africa, Southern Africa and the Horn of Africa. Arguments are illustrated with specific examples of classroom practices and learners' experiences from our own recent research in secondary schools in Rwanda and Tanzania as well as examples from the literature.

Educators from various primary and secondary schools, post-secondary institutions and officials from the Ministry of Education took part in a one-day workshop at the Seychelles Institute of Teachers Training on the 28 of October 2023 to discuss the challenges involved in second language medium of instruction transitions, where children move from being taught in their first language to English. Participants included international researchers, policy makers and teachers. For more information, see article below. https://www.nation.sc/articles/19894/educators-discuss-on-language-medium-of-instruction-transitions Professor Mats Deutschmann opening the workshop