Cost-benefits of Multilingual Education

1. Cost-benefits of Multilingual Education Economics of effective language models Kathleen Heugh University of South Australia November 2013

2. Which costs & benefits count? • Use of Languages which teachers or learners do not know well • Inputs: short, medium, long term • Additional costs • Use of Local Languages / MTs in Education • Outputs: medium and long term • Benefits, returns

3. Additional costs are usually much less than expected Projected costs for: • The multilingual education policy in South Africa • Expect between 5-10 % more on cost of books and teacher education (Vawda & Patrinos 1999) National Education: • 0,11 % of National Budget over 3 years (Cole 2005) Provincial Departments: • 0,3 - 0,6% over 5 years (Cole 2005) This is only 0,7%more for the whole S African education budget

4. Cost Recovery • Even if the initial cost is 5% more - this is likely to be recovered in 5-7 years (Grin 2005) • Savings: • Lower repeater rate (short term) • Lower drop-out rate (medium – long term) • Initial cost decreases after 5-7 years

5. What is the cost of (not) investing in local languages? Social and Development Impact: • Consequences of failure of health, education issues, & disgruntled youth; vs. • Consequences of successful education (e.g. Obanya 2004) Education Impact: • Higher through-rate for Primary Education = • Higher General Enrolment in Secondary Education Economic Impact: • Longer students in school = • Higher potential earnings= • Higher potential taxes to the state; etc.

6. Costing Language Models and Teacher Education Late-exit from MT medium Early-exit from MT medium Strong Bilingual MT + Additional Language/L2 100% teachers, Gr 4-12 Upgrade L2 proficiency 75% teachers, Gr 4-12 Upgrade L2 proficiency 50% teachers, Gr 4-12 Upgrade L2 proficiency 100% language (L2) teaching methodology 25% language L1/ MT & 75% language L2 teaching methodology 50% language L1/ MT & 50% language L2 teaching methodology 100% content subject pedagogy development 100% content subject pedagogy development 100% content subject pedagogy development Cost Value Cost Value Cost Value High Low Medium Medium Low High

7. Cost savings – increased efficiency of teacher education programmes, include: • (Introduction to) First and second language acquisition theory including how children become literate and effective readers and writers (applicable to planners across the curriculum) • Language education policy, models and outcomes • Bilingual / multilingual teaching principles & methodology • Introduction to the process of developing of terminology & orthography in local languages • Participatory (community involvement) approaches e.g. to education policy and planning • Education planning advocacy • Cost-benefit approaches of medium to long-term planning for educational success vs. short-term planning to protect careers

8. Comparing Costs WHAT • Language in Education Policy • Plan • Public Support • Language Technology: terminology • Translation technology • Translation Units • Dictionaries • Multilingual materials • Teacher Training • TOTAL: Max. 1% SAME or MORE? • Same • Minimal • Same as any govt. policy • Inexpensive replicable, electronically accessible • Fast and Reduces costs • Employment & econ. Benefits • Overheads streamlined • Minimal additional costs • Lower costs • TOTAL: Recoverable and reduces overall expenditure

9. Conclusion • Inputs: short, medium, long term • Outputs: medium and long term • Benefits: social, economic and development – medium to long term (Cole 2005) Finally: • No evidence that early-exit to the international language: works or is cheaper • There is evidence that L1/MT/Local Language education is cost-effective and beneficial for social development

10. Recommendations • Cost budget implications of different options over 5-10 years [i.e. initial additional costs, recurrent costs, cost recovery, return on investment]. • Ensure that economists have necessary information regarding literacy and language development in education. • Develop a 10-point Language Education Plan for each country. • Adjust education budget & identify domestic and international sources for initial investment. • Involve civil society in the social, educational and economic costs and benefits of different models. • Engage in bilateral or multilateral co-operation with neighbouring countries. • Limit costs: maximise available expertise in the region and about local languages and literacy development. • Plan to recover costs and see benefits in 5-10 years.

11. References Cole, P. 2005. The economics of language in education policy in South Africa. In Alexander, N (ed). Mother tongue-based bilingual education in Southern Africa. The dynamics of implementation, 26-44. Cape Town: Multilingualism Network & PRAESA, University of Cape Town. Grin, F. 2005. The economics of language policy implementation: identifying and measuring costs. In Alexander, N (ed). Mother tongue-based bilingual education in Southern Africa. The dynamics of implementation, 11-25. Cape Town: Multilingualism Network & PRAESA, University of Cape Town. Heugh, K. 2011. Cost implications of the provision of mother-tongue and strong bilingual models of education in Africa. In Ouane, A. and Glanz, C. (eds). Optimising learning, education and publishing in Africa: The language factor. A review and analysis of theory and practice in mother-tongue and bilingual education in sub-Saharan Africa, 255-289. Hamburg and Tunis Belvédère: UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning (UIL) and the Association for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA)/African Development Bank. (Also in French) http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0021/002126/212602e.pdf