To mark the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, celebrated on 9 August, Action Education Switzerland reaffirms its commitment for equitable and inclusive access to quality education. In Cambodia, a historic breakthrough illustrates the transformative power of learning in one’s mother tongue.

A global event to celebrate unique but marginalised cultures

Every year, 9 August marks the International Day of Indigenous Peoples, an event established by the United Nations to raise public awareness of the rights, cultures and realities of these peoples around the world. It is also an opportunity to highlight the urgent need to protect the fundamental rights of these communities. With 476 million people spread across 90 countries, indigenous peoples account for just 6 % of the world’s population, yet make up at least 15 % of those living in extreme poverty.

As the heirs to an exceptional cultural and social diversity, indigenous peoples – that is, the original inhabitants of a territory – comprise more than 5,000 distinct cultures and speak the vast majority of the approximately 7,000 languages recorded worldwide. Yet this priceless wealth is under serious threat: at least 40 % of these languages are currently at risk of disappearing, mainly because they are excluded from formal education systems and public spaces. As part of the UN’s International Decade of Indigenous Languages (2022–2032), the preservation of this linguistic heritage is essential for equity, social justice and human rights.

At the heart of this issue lies access to quality education. For millions of children from Indigenous communities, the journey to school begins with a major obstacle: being taught in an official or national language that they do not understand. This initial language barrier contributes to school drop-out rates, reinforces social exclusion and accelerates the erosion of ancestral cultural identities.

Education in the mother tongue: the cornerstone of SDG 4

Learning in the mother tongue during the early years of schooling is not merely a linguistic adjustment; it is an essential prerequisite for educational success. Scientific research in educational sciences consistently demonstrates that a child who first learns to read, write and reason in their mother tongue develops stronger cognitive skills, greater self-esteem and an increased ability to learn a second language later on.

This approach directly addresses Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4) of the United Nations 2030 Agenda, which aims to ensure inclusive, equitable and high-quality education, whilst providing opportunities for lifelong learning for all. It is also in line with the fundamental right enshrined in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Article 14 of which explicitly states that: « Indigenous peoples have the right to establish and control their own school systems and institutions where instruction is provided in their own language, in a manner consistent with their cultural methods of teaching and learning.»

By breaking down language barriers from early childhood onwards, education systems cease to be vehicles for forced assimilation and become genuine spaces for empowerment and harmonious integration.

Photo of pupils in a classroom in Cambodia, March 2026. © AE Cambodia

Cambodia: a pioneering model for multilingual education

It is precisely this ambition that has been realised in Cambodia. On 27 January 2026, during an official event in Ratanakiri province, His Excellency Dr Hang Chuon Naron, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education, Youth and Sport, announced the official inclusion of the Jarai language in the national multilingual education programme.

Thanks to this decision, Cambodia has become the first country in the world to implement a multilingual education programme on such a scale. The scheme is based on a «bridge» model: children study in their native language from nursery school to Year 3, whilst being introduced to Khmer, before moving onto the national curriculum, taught entirely in Khmer, from Year 4 onwards. The programme now encompasses six indigenous languages written using the Khmer alphabet: Tumpuon, Kreung, Brao, Kavet, Pnong and Jarai (or Charay).

Since 2014, Action Education has been actively supporting this programme in Cambodia. Our aim is to ensure that every child can study in their mother tongue, have access to high-quality education and maintain a living connection with their culture and identity. Samphors Vorn, Country Director of Action Education Cambodia, welcomes the inclusion of the Jarai language in the school curriculum and describes it as a major contribution to safeguarding this community’s mother tongue, culture and traditions. He also emphasises the key role children play in protecting their language: «Their involvement in preserving the language can help to protect their identity in the future. In this way, more people will continue to recognise and respect indigenous communities,» he explains.

For members of the Jarai community, this educational breakthrough represents an urgent response to the risks of linguistic assimilation facing the younger generations.

«Many young people are increasingly adopting the national language at the expense of their mother tongue. Making school textbooks available in Jarai, alongside those in Khmer, will encourage young people to preserve our language whilst mastering the national language.»

Blen Romam, a member of the Jarai community and president of the Cambodian Indigenous Youth Association

For his part, the Cambodian Indigenous Peoples’ Association (CIPA) expressed his great satisfaction at this formal recognition, pointing out that education in one’s mother tongue is the best defence for preserving traditions and collective memory in the face of the rapid changes brought about by globalisation.

Photograph of a pupil in a classroom in Cambodia, February 2026. © AE Cambodia

The keys to success and the challenges for the future

Whilst the Cambodian example demonstrates that strong political will, combined with multi-stakeholder cooperation, can transform education systems, several strategic challenges remain for the programme’s future:

• Increasing financial resources: extending the bilingual model to very remote rural areas requires sustainable funding to cover the costs of producing teaching materials and logistics.
• Recruitment and the development of local skills: the continuing professional development of teachers from Indigenous communities remains the cornerstone of the scheme’s success.
• Changing social perceptions: the introduction of indigenous languages in schools helps to change society’s overall view of these minorities, thereby promoting peaceful coexistence based on mutual respect and intercultural understanding.

Our belief: language as the foundation of empowerment

For Action Education, this historic milestone in Cambodia exemplifies the principles that guide our commitment to education around the world:

• Language is the foundation of identity and a sense of belonging.
• Education is the key to equal opportunities and to individual and collective fulfilment.
• Cooperation with communities, teachers and local authorities is essential for achieving sustainable development.

On this International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, let us reaffirm together that learning in one’s mother tongue is not a privilege granted as a favour, but an inalienable human right.