Nepal, June 13 -- Children learn best when education starts from the language they already know. For many children in Nepal, their first day of school is also their first exposure to Nepali as the language of instruction (LoI). When children struggle to communicate with their teacher, it becomes increasingly difficult for them to participate in the classroom, understand lessons and develop foundational literacy.

Nepal has more than 124 mother tongues and numerous dialects. Despite this linguistic diversity, its presence in the language of instruction and learning materials is limited. In schools, children whose home language is different from the instructional language face dual learning challenges. Children are expected to learn a new l...