UNIT 2 LESSON 3

LANGUAGE IN
EDUCATION POLICIES
IN SOUTHEAST ASIA

PRESENTED BY: GROUP 3

SOUTHEAST ASIA
COUNTRIES
SEAMEO

Southeast Asian Minister of Education Organization

(SEAMAO)- is a regional intergovernmental organization
established in 1965 among governments of Southeast Asian
countries to promote regional cooperation in education, science
and culture in the region.
Language in Education Policies in
Southeast Asia

Southeast Asia is a culturally and linguistically diverse

region. All Southeast Asian nations have their
respective dominant ethnolinguistic groups and
national/official languages, but that does contradict
their great cultural and linguistic diversity. There are
around 1,000 languages that are spoken in the region.
BRUNIE DARRUSSALAM
is the smallest Southeast Asian nation in
terms of population. It is ethnically and
linguistically diverse. Most of the population
belongs to various Malay groups, speaking
several Malay languages. In the table shown
earlier, It is estimated that seventeen
languages are spoken in Brunei.
(Brunei is the only SEAMEO country where the use of local
languages in education is legally proscribed.
The Bilingual Education Policy in Brunei
demonstrated a consistent focus on
promoting bilingual education. The
education system uses Standard Malay
and English as the media of instruction,
according to a language policy
emphasizing bilingualism in those
languages.
LAOS
The Lao People in Democratic Republic
(Lao PDR or LAOS has The Education
Law of 2000 - stipulates the use of
Lao in education and can be
interpreted to allow the use of Lao
only (Kosonen, 2007; Lao PDR, 2008,
Leclerc, 2009;UNESCO, 2008).
INDONESIA
Indonesia, with more than 740 languages, is
linguistically the most diverse country in all of Asia.
Law No. 20 of 2003 (Chapter VII, Article
33, Section 2) - states that a mother tongue
other than Indonesian can be used as the
language of instruction in the early stages of
education, if needed in the delivery of
particular knowledge or skills.
MALAYSIA
It is estimated that about 140 languages are being spoken
in Malaysia.
Government system of formal education has two
kinds of schools:
1.) National Primary Schools - The national primary
schools use Standard Malay as the main lanquage of
instruction, whereas mathematics and science are
taught in English.
Pupils Own Language' (POL) - a studied subiect where
their medium were Malay Tamil and Mandarin, as well
as other non-dominant languages, including
ethnolinguistic minority languages.
2.) National-Type Primary Schools - The national-type
primary schools use some other language, such as
Mandarin Chinese, Tan, or an alternative Indian
language, as the main medium of instruction, and
mathematics and science are taught in that language
and English
PHILIPPINES
In terms of language diversity, the Philippines is
second only to Indonesia in Southeast Asia, as 180
languages are estimated to be spoken in the
country (Ethnologue,2008). Languages such as
Bicol, Cebuano, Illongo, Ilocano, and Tagalog are
spoken by millions of people and widely used as
languages of wider communication in their
respective areas.
The Bilingual Education Policy of 1974,
revised in 1987, states that English and
Filipino are the languages of education and
the official languages of literacy. The goal
of the bilingual policy is to create a
population bilingual in the official languages.
In the Philippines, non-dominant languages are used in
education, particularly in nonformal education, perhaps
more widely than in other Southeast Asian Countries

Still, Filipino and English continue as the main languages of

education throughout the nation, even after recent debates
over current policy and the importance of the learners'
home language in education.
CAMBODIA

Cambodia is a linguistically diverse

country, with Khmer as the
official language and the dominant
medium of instruction in its
education system.
The Cambodian Constitution
and national policies emphasize
the promotion of Khmer in all
formal education settings,
especially in public schools.
MYANMAR
Myanmar is a linguistically diverse country, with
over 100 languages spoken by its various ethnic
groups. Burmese (Myanmar) is the official
language and the primary medium of instruction in
the national education system. However, the
country is home to major languages such as Shan,
Karen, Kachin, Chin, Mon, and Rakhine, which are
spoken by ethnic minority groups across the
country.
The National Education Law(2014) and subsequent
amendments included provisions for the use of ethnic
languages in schools, marking a shift toward greater
recognition of linguistic diversity.

Basic Education Reforms (2015-2020): Aimed at

improving quality, access, and inclusiveness in education.
Some ethnic regions began to introduce bilingual
education, using both Burmese and ethnic languages,
though implementation remains limited.
SINGAPORE
Singapore is a multilingual and
multicultural society with four official
languages: English, Mandarin Chinese,
Malay, and Tamil. English serves as the
primary medium of instruction in schools
and is also the working language of the
government and business sectors.
Education Act (Cap. 87)
This is the primary legislation governing
education in Singapore. It mandates that all
students in primary and secondary schools
must be proficient in both English and their
designated Mother Tongue Language
(MTL).
THAILAND
Thailand is a linguistically diverse
country with Thai as the official
language and the primary
medium of instruction in its
education system.
Official Language Policy
The National Education Act (1999) mandates that Thai
be used for teaching in formal education settings to
ensure national cohesion and effective communication
across the country.

The Thai Curriculum Framework issued by the Ministry of

Education (MOE)
outlines the standards for teaching Thai language and
literature. It emphasizes developing students' proficiency in
Thai for effective communication and national integration.
TIMOR LESTE
Timor-Leste is a multilingual country
with a rich linguistic landscape,
featuring Tetum and Portuguese as its
official languages.
• Primary Education: In primary education, Tetum is often used as
the medium of instruction, especially in local schools, to accommodate
students' linguistic backgrounds. Portuguese is introduced
progressively, starting from early grades to ensure proficiency by
the end of primary education.
• Secondary and Higher Education:
Portuguese plays a significant role in secondary and higher
education, where it is used as the primary language of
instruction for academic subjects. This reflects its status
as the official language of governance and higher education.
VIETNAM
Vietnam is a linguistically diverse country with
Vietnamese as the official and most widely
spoken language. Vietnamese serves as the
primary medium of instruction in the national
education system, reflecting its central role in
government, business, and daily life.
Official Language Policy

Vietnamese is the official language and

the primary medium of instruction in all
public schools, as mandated by the
Vietnamese Constitution and the Education
Law (2019).
The Education Law (2019)

provides for the inclusion of ethnic minority

languages in the education system, particularly in
regions with significant ethnic minority populations.
Ethnic languages are taught alongside Vietnamese
to support cultural preservation and enhance
educational accessibility for minority students.
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