Language Discrimination in Education

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In every part of the world children have been and continue to be prohibited from and punished for using their mother tongue in classes or on school grounds. Singling out these children (and their parents) in this way is an act of discrimination.

Examples of language discrimination include but are not limited to: physical punishments for children speaking their mother tongue, such as beatings, being placed outside the classroom or wearing the ‘Not’, a board around the neck with a sign indicating the transgression. Punishments can also be psychological, for example giving out awards or praising children for not speaking their mother tongue, and asking parents not to speak their home language with their children when they are at school.

While there are strong indications that this type of language discrimination is widespread, there is a lack of qualitative data. The purpose of this survey is to supplement the lack of data and compile case studies on the subject.

If you, your child or anyone else you know have experienced language discrimination we encourage you to fill out this survey. The data collected in this survey will be used for research purposes only, the Rutu Foundation will never share your contact details with third parties. Read our privacy policy here: https://www.rutufoundation.org/privacy-statement/

This is an initiative of the Rutu Foundation for intercultural multilingual education. We are a non-governmental organisation based in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. We are committed to creating a world where all children have access to quality education without any form of discrimination.

For more information: www.rutufoundation.org. Email us at info@rutufoundation.org

Email *

Name of the victim/contact person *

If the victim prefers to remain anonymous, a contact person can be named on their behalf (please indicate whether this is the case).

Date of the incident *

Approximate month and year of the incident

YYYY

Country *

Where did the incident occur?

Language(s) of instruction. Which language(s) are or were the language of instruction when the incident occurred? *

Mother tongue or home language used. Which language(s) were spoken when the incident occurred? *

Who was the victim of language discrimination? *

Student

Parent

Other:

Required

Who was the perpetrator? You may identify more than one. *

Fellow student(s)

Teacher(s)

School administrator

Other:

Required

In which institution did the incident occur? *

Kindergarten/Preschool

Primary/Elementary school

Secondary school

Post-secondary/Higher education

Required

Where at school did the incident occur? *

The classroom

Playground/ School premises

School building

Other:

Required

What authority figures were involved? *

The teacher(s)

The administration

State actors (i.e. oversight, courts, representatives)

Other:

Required

Please describe the incident *

For instance: students speaking their mother tongue in the classroom or on the premises, hanging up posters in another language, parents speaking their mother tongue with their children on school premises. Provide as much detail as you like.

What were the repercussions for the victim? *

For instance: expulsion or suspension, writing lines, prohibited from speaking mother tongue at school or at home, physical punishments, implicit restrictions resulting in the student feeling excluded or ashamed.

What action did the victim take? *

For instance: no action, spoke to the school, filed a complaint, pursued legal action.

Thank you! May we contact you if we have further questions? *

Yes

Send me a copy of my responses.

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