Language education policy in Nepal and the denial of the right to speak in Indigenous languages

Language education policy (LEP) in Nepal has historically been a contested issue.Reviewing documents relating to Nepal's LEP from the 1950s, I examine how Nepal's policy has misinterpreted multilingualism, constructing deficit views of Indigenous languages, popularly known as 'mother tongues', and violated the constitutional rights of Nepali communities to preserve and promote their language and culture. The historical construction of monolingualismNepal's LEP is historically linked to the state's project of nationalism.Education for the masses was not accessible until 1951; and during the Rana regime education for the public was perceived to be a threat to the ruling class.Toward the end of the Regime, some Bhāṣā Pāṭhśālās (language schools) were established for the public which promoted Nepali as the medium of education.The modernisation of education through systematic policy change began after the fall of the Rana regime.Unfortunately, the subsequent LEPs embraced a monolingual ideology and reinforced monolingual nationalism.The autocratic Panchayat regime , for example, embraced ek-desh-ek

Denial · Human rights · Indigenous · Indigenous Education · Language policy · Linguistics · Political science · Right to education · Sociology · Law · Minority Rights and Languages · Multilingual Education and Policy · Philosophy · Psychology · Second Language Learning and Teaching