PESHAWAR: A policy dialogue held here on October 26 underlined the importance of multilingualism in improving learning outcomes and promoting inclusive education in the country.
The event was jointly organised by Durbeen, a Karachi-based NGO, the University of Oxford and Institute of Education and Research, University of Peshawar as part of a research initiative – Data and Research in Education-Research Consortium (DARE-RC).
Led by Dr Fauzia Shamim from Durbeen and Dr Aliya Khalid from the University of Oxford, the initiative is funded by the UK government’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and implemented by Oxford Policy Management (OPM). Policymakers, academics, education experts and community representatives participated in the dialogue and discussed the role of language in education reform.
Director of IER, Dr Hafiz Muhammad Inamullah and Chief Executive Officer of Durbeen Salma Alam opened the dialogue. They stressed the need for bridging the gap between home and school languages. They said that sustainable education reform must begin by recognising the language of the learner.
Speaking about the importance of multilingualism in the education system Dr Fauzia Shamim said that most of the teachers rely on local languages and translanguaging is common but unrecognized in policy or training. She said that using children’s home languages boosts confidence and understanding. Therefore, she added, multilingualism should be celebrated rather than suppressed, she stressed.
Dr Aliya Khalid remarked that any approach to make education inclusive for all children must recognise its importance not only in classrooms but also in communities.
Secretary Elementary and Secondary Education KP Muhammad Khalid Khan said that the education sector continued to face challenges related to implementation, resources, and policy coherence.
He said Pashto and other languages are widely understood in a landscape of multilingualism and a balanced approach needs to be adopted. He said that addressing linguistic diversity through informed policy reform is central to improving learning outcomes.
Published in The NEWS on October 27, 2025.
