Innovation

Since its inception, KISS has celebrated the diversity of indigenous languages and dialects. It has consistently focused on imparting classroom teaching in the mother tongue at elementary levels before transitioning to a common language. This one of its kind pioneering effort of KISS took a concrete shape in MTB-MLE is a well-established strategy to address language gaps in early learning. The MTB-MLE programme at KISS is sustained within the formal education system of KISS, allowing the organization to fill gaps in the learning process of indigenous students. Children at an early learning stage are the form of Mother Tongue-Based aided in their education through this Multilingual Education in 2013, with initial support from the Bernard van Leer Foundation. KISS has since sustainably institutionalized the Multilingual Education Programme, setting an example for other educational institutions and governments to impart classroom teaching in indigenous languages.

This project won UNESCO’s King Sejong Literacy Prize 2022 for its outstanding literacy initiatives. approach, by introducing a transition curriculum – an innovative pedagogic initiative, with unique teaching and learning tools created in 10 indigenous dialects. It aims to tackle the challenges of poor retention of indigenous students in elementary schools due to classroom language barriers and teachers’ incapacity to deal with multilingual and multicultural classrooms effectively.