Vice-chancellor of Nepal Academy, Ganga Prasad Upreti has said that multilingual education has begun since some time back in the country, but a discussion was required with the concerned stakeholders about the existing problems and their solution.

Speaking at a seminar on the importance of multi-lingual education in Nepal organised by the Academy and SIL International here on Monday to mark the International Mother Tongue Day-2012, he said the experience of multi-lingual education in India, Bangladesh and other south Asian countries and the experience of stakeholders here could help draw out a conclusion for developing a policy on multi-lingual teaching promotion in the country.

Presenting a working paper on the occasion, Prof. Dr Yogendra Prasad Yadav said beginning education in school in the second language hampers students' learning abilities and also deprive them from gaining quality education.

Likewise, Dubindra Dhakal and Amrit Yonzon Lama also presented different working papers stressing the need to wipe out the negative views about multi-lingual education, and to manage for training to put the multi-lingual education policy into practice.

Marking the same occasion, the Academy is organising a multi-lingual poetry symposium in the capital today. Poets of various 35 languages are taking part in the symposium.

source: The Himalayan Tims, 20 Feb 2012