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Out of date textbooks put sustainable development at risk 21 December 2016 A new study by the UNESCO Global Education Monitoring (GEM) Report shows how secondary school textbooks from the 1950s until 2011 missed or misrepresented key priorities now shown as crucial to achieve sustainable development. With textbooks only revised every 5-10 years, the analysis reveals the need for governments to urgently reassess their textbooks to ensure that they reflect core values for sustainable development, including human rights, gender equality, environmental concern, global citizenship and peace and conflict resolution.Released around International Day of Human Rights, the analysis looked at secondary school textbooks in history, civics, social studies and geography. The materials were drawn from the Georg Eckert Institute in Germany, which holds the most extensive collection of textbooks from around the world in these subjects.The paper had the following key findings:Human rights: The percentage of textbooks mentioning human rights increased from 28% to 50% between 1970-1979 and 2000-2011, with the greatest increase in sub-Saharan Africa. But, from 2000-2011, only 9% of textbooks discussed rights of people with disabilities and 3% cover the rights of LGBTI people. Only 14% of textbooks from 2000-2011 mention immigrant and refugee rights.Gender: The percentage of textbooks mentioning women’s rights increased from 15% in the 1946-1969 period to 37% in the 2000-2011 period. Only a sixth of textbooks in Northern Africa and Western Asia mention women’s rights at all. Despite the explicit messages advocating against gender inequality, gender bias remains a significant problem. Many textbooks, including in Algeria, France, Italy, Spain, Uganda, Pakistan, Iran, Turkey, Kenya and Zimbabwe show women in submissive or traditional roles like cleaning and serving men. Some countries like Vietnam, have revised their textbooks to better illustrate gender equality.Environmental issues: During 2000-2011, environmental protection or damage was discussed in half of all textbooks; more than double the percentage between 1970-1979. From 2000-2011, only 30% of textbooks discussed environmental issues as a global problem.Peace: Only 10% of textbooks from 2000-2011 explicitly mention conflict prevention or resolution. Sri Lanka is one country that has introduced reconciliation mechanisms into textbooks recently in order to promote peace and social cohesion. Over half of 72 secondary school textbooks analysed in 15 countries related Islam and Arab societies to conflict, nationalism, extremism or terrorism.Global citizenship: From 2000-2008, 25% of textbooks mention global citizenship, compared with 13% in the 1980s. But, 60% of countries’ textbooks in the late 2000s have no mention of activities outside of their borders.Aaron Benavot, Director of the GEM Report UNESCO, said “Textbooks convey the core values and priorities of each society and are used extensively in classrooms around the world to shape what students learn. Our new analysis shows the extent to which most former students now in their 20s were taught from textbooks that had little if anything to say about the core values of sustainable development. Textbook revision is infrequent, and often involves slight revisions, rather than overhauls of content. In addition, governments simply don’t realize just how out of touch their textbooks are. Our research shows that they must take a much closer look at what children and adolescents are being taught.” The GEM Report calls on governments to urgently review the content of their textbooks to ensure values are in line with the principles in the new UN Sustainable Development Agenda (SDGs). It calls for the values of the SDGs to be built into national guidelines used during textbook review, and taught in workshops for textbook writers and illustrators.A checklist of highly relevant textbook content that governments should look out for when reviewing currently approved textbooks is included in the paper. A separate version of that list is available for teachers and students to use in classrooms, enabling them assess their own textbooks, and hold their governments to account. **** For more information or interviews, please contact Kate Redman on k.redman@unesco.org 0033671786234 Download the paper See images of textbooks: Gender Equality, Peace, Environmental concern, Human Rights, Global Citizenship Notes to editor: Global Education Monitoring Report 
2016 APCEIU GCED Network Meeting: Catalyzing Global Action and Solidarity for GCED towards 2030 16 December 2016 In order to achieve Global Citizenship Education (GCED) until 2030, catalyzing global action is a priority for APCEIU. Cognizant of the strong support of institutions globally to put GCED into action, APCEIU has convened the 2016 APCEIU GCED Network Meeting in Seoul, Republic of Korea from 9-11 November 2016. Representatives from 36 organizations and institutions implementing and contributing to GCED gathered during the GCED Network Meeting to share their activities and explore potential ways of collaboration on promoting GCED. Mr Utak Chung, Director of APCEIU, in his opening remarks highlighted that, “This gathering comes at a most opportune time, to take a step further in the realization of GCED by exploring potential collaboration through forming human and institutional-network.” Mr Gwang Jo Kim, representing UNESCO Bangkok, the Regional Bureau of Education in the Asia-Pacific, underlined in his congratulatory remarks that it is, “Through partnerships and joint actions that we can maximize our support to countries and scale up our efforts to promote GCED.” On the outset, the GCED Network Meeting showcased the diverse efforts of institutions globally in promoting GCED. Participating organizations and institutions highlighted the interconnectedness of GCED with related concepts including human rights, peace, cultural diversity and sustainable development, and how can the complementarities be explored. Furthermore, institutional presentation panels were divided based on the participating organization’s backgrounds; Intergovernmental Organizations, Research and Training Organizations, Civil Society Organizations, Higher Education Institutions, and Network Organizations. Each panel provided an opportunity to identify common work areas, synergies and possible areas of collaboration. Participants have commonly noted as well about the importance of aligning GCED activities to the Sustainable Development Goals, in which GCED is part of as Target 4.7, particularly through the development of monitoring mechanisms and indicators. Based on the results of the institutional presentation panels, participants discussed further to develop strategies for the GCED Network in various dimensions: Research and Policy Development; Capacity-Building of Educators; Information Dissemination and Material Development; Advocacy, and Partnerships and Networking. The discussion served as an opportunity to brainstorm on how the participating organizations can increase the impact of the GCED programmes, and how can the GCED Network support the overall promotion of GCED as well as dissemination of global education agenda. Ms Ann Therese Ndong Jatta, Director of UNESCO Nairobi, emphasized that GCED’s inclusion in the global agenda is a strong call for governments and stakeholders to be engaged in the promotion of GCED. She further praised the effort of APCEIU to put Education 2030 into action. Through a drafting committee from the participants, a final outcome statement with the subtitle “Partnerships for Global Citizenship Education towards 2030” was finalized by the representatives of institutions and organizations shortly after the end of the 2016 APCEIU GCED Network Meeting. The final outcome statement details the foundation of the establishment of an international network of institutions and organizations for the promotion of GCED and recommendations for the inclusive, holistic, systematic and sustainable promotion of GCED until 2030. At the closing of the meeting, Mr Utak Chung expressed his gratitude to the participants and promised continuous support of APCEIU for strong collaboration with partners through the network. “We will continue to promote GCED in the future, and we look forward in working more actively with you, our partners, together through the GCED Network,” said Mr Chung. APCEIU will continue to promote GCED through the GCED Network, and plans to address the needs of various regions and stakeholder groups in 2017. URL: 2016 APCEIU GCED Network Meeting: Catalyzing Global Action and Solidarity for GCED towards 2030 > APCEIU News - APCEIU (unescoapceiu.org) 
Tackling Antisemitism at the Roots Gathers Global Experts 12 December 2016 The fight against antisemitism cuts to the heart of UNESCO’s role and mission to build global peace through education and the promotion of respect for others, said Director-General Irina Bokova, opening a high-level round table at UNESCO Headquarters on 6 December 2016.Organized with the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance, the round-table analysed the roots of antisemitic hatred, how it can be defined, its evolution and contemporary expression, as well as the best use of education, communication and culture to combat it.In his keynote address, Mr Robert Badinter, former French Minister of Justice and former President of the Constitutional Council in France, brushed a historical overview of antisemitism, from its religious origins to the national and racial dimensions it took on in the 19th and 20thcenturies, culminating in the Holocaust. “In and of themselves, culture, the love of art, education do not suffice to counter the fury of racism and antisemitism. We must draw lessons from this,” he stated, warning that “complacency nurtures prejudice that feeds on hatred," culminating in the Holocaust and other pernicious forms today. Ms Bokova recalled that “hatred of Jews is an ancient hatred that has never stopped evolving over the centuries under many different guises,” ultimately leading to the destruction of nearly all European jews. She reminded the audience that UNESCO was the sole UN agency to have a programme dedicated to teaching the history of the Holocaust as a means of promoting global tolerance and respect and preventing future genocides.Noting that antisemitism is resurging in Europe with murderous attacks against Jews, she stressed that antisemitism was best combated with education, with the teaching and understanding of not only the Holocaust but Jewish culture and patrimony as an antidote to prejudice.“Education has a fundamental role to play here but not just any kind of education. We need an education that really transmits the knowledge of historical facts, heritage and culture, to protect and respect the dignity of all people, their beliefs and traditions, on the basis of respect for human rights,” she said.She commended the IHRA for its adoption of a concrete definition of antisemitism, which represents “a considerable step forward to help put precise words on a subject that demands constancy and firmness.”Ambassador Mihnea Constantinescu, Chair of the IHRA, a network of 31 member countries, stated that “we must all identify the roots of hate, discrimination and exclusion that led to the tragedy of the Holocaust and eradicate them for good, both on the European continent and globally. This means access to education, openness to diversity, commitment to teaching young generations to respect human values and the undistorted history. Teaching young generations to denounce and reject every form of extremism, intolerance, racism or antisemitism is a necessary achievement for shaping the future”.This set the stage for a panel discussion of experts who all concurred on the complexity of contemporary antisemitism and the role of education in countering it. Ms Katharina von Schnurbein, the European Union’s Coordinator on combating antisemitism, stressed the importance of a holistic approach, solid legislation and understanding the positive contribution of Jews to history. Ms Cristina Finch, from Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), outlined initiatives in place to train police and prosecutors on hate crimes, build coalitions with different communities, and to develop policy guidelines for educators, in cooperation with UNESCO. Mr Dervis Hizarci of the Kreuzberg Initiative against Antisemitism (Germany) described pedagogical work with Arab, Turkish and Muslim youth in Germany. Professor Steven Katz, Slater Professor of Jewish and Holocaust Studies at Boston University and Professor Dina Porat, Head of the Kantor Center for the Study of European Jewry at Tel Aviv University both described the complexity of contemporary antisemitism, historical distortions, the importance of recognizing the wealth of Jewish culture and its contribution to world history, and the need to work on a broader understanding of the phenomenon.The event, supported by the UST Shoah Foundation, included a video presentation of the project “Countering Antisemitism Through Testimony”, by Ms Marianne Lère of the USC Shoah Foundation, UNESCO Chair for Genocide Education. 
Teaching about genocide and mass atrocities: An entry point to peace education 12 December 2016 In the framework of its activities relating to education about the Holocaust and other genocides, UNESCO partnered with the National Commission of Senegal to UNESCO to organize a training seminar for high-level civil servants of the Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, the Gambia, Mali, Niger and Senegal ministries of education in Dakar on 24 and 25 November 2016. The seminar was preceded by a conference on the same topic at Université Cheikh Anta Diop de Dakar (UCAD) on 23 November 2016 to raise awareness among the Senegalese academic community.“For seven decades following the Holocaust, many individuals and organizations have been constantly campaigning for ‘NEVER AGAIN.’ But these efforts remain insufficient, since other genocides have taken place since the Holocaust – even as recently as 1994 – and large-scale violations of human rights still occur today,” said Mr. Gwang-Chol Chang, Director a.i. of UNESCO Dakar. “It is clear that preventive actions must be strengthened, and in particular by promoting the defence of peace in the minds of men and women, as proclaimed by UNESCO’s Constitution.”Thus, education has a vital role to play to build resilience to violence and to contribute to a culture of peace based on mutual respect and human rights. It is for this reason that UNESCO supports education on the history of past genocides as a means to raise awareness of the causes, dynamics and consequences of such atrocities.The seminar therefore was an opportunity for the participants to familiarize themselves with the concept and history of genocide, in particular the genocide of the Jewish people during the Second World War and that of the Tutsi in Rwanda in 1994. The seminar also included round table discussions such as “Why teach about the Holocaust?” which examined the experiences of Cote d’Ivoire, Senegal, and South Africa; “racism, anti-Semitism, and denial”, led by three experts from different perspectives; and “the prevention of violent extremism through education”, which presented UNESCO’s new guidelines for policymakers and teachers as well as experiences from the West African region, considering critical contextual issues such as the role of the security system, the family and the media. These discussions were developed around in-depth analyses on pedagogies and policies relating to this history, and helped participants to explore possible ways to introduce or reinforce the position of the subject in education in a way which is relevant to their national contexts.As a concrete follow-up action, participants were requested to share their roadmap to integrate this subject in their education policies, programmes, and curriculum and to propose an effective monitoring system appropriate for their respective countries’ context. This aims in the short-term at 2017, in the medium-term in alignment with the national education sector plan, and in the long-term at contributing to the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4 Education 2030 and specifically Target 4.7: to promote a culture of peace and non-violence.Experts contributing to the seminar included historians and educators from Belgium, Côte d'Ivoire, France, Germany, Senegal and South Africa.The event was organized in partnership with the Shoah Memorial, the Johannesburg Holocaust and Genocide Centre and the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation, with the support of the Foundation for the Memory of the Shoah. 
Close to 28,000 Global Citizens support MGIEP's campaign for inclusive education 5 December 2016 Mumbai, India—-The much-awaited first edition of the Global Citizen India Festival held in Mumbai on November 19 saw 80,000 young people from across India join forces with political representatives and leaders to bring about real change to India and the world.Leaders from the local, state, and federal government came together on stage at the festival as well as in video appearances and messages to the Global Citizens watching around the world to commit to help realise Quality Education (SDG 4), Gender Equality (SDG 5) and Clean Water and Sanitation (SDG 6)Those physically present at the festival represented the voice of a much larger mass—In just two months, more than 500,000 youth in India took more than 200,000 lakh actions calling on political, faith and business leaders along with celebrities to be more accountable on education, gender equality, water and sanitation.UNESCO MGIEP partnered with Global Citizen India to create a unique SDG 4 Inclusive Education Journey to advocate for difference learners – the one in six people worldwide who require their educational materials, teacher delivery, and learning assessment to be different from standard education models and practices. Difference learning includes the following diagnoses (or 4Ds): Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, Dyscalculia and Dysgraphia. Learning difficulties, unlike physical disabilities, cannot be easily seen and detected hence, we call this The Seen Unseen!A total of 27,800 young global citizens participated in the two-step, 10-day long inclusive education journey.It required them to sign a petition to the ministers of education asking them to include the needs of different learners in the New Education Policy as well as tweet to them the following:#EducationMinistersofIndia.Please recognize the need for universal screening tests and trained teachers for different learnersThe Global Citizen India concert was headlined by music giants Coldplay and had international artists such as Jay-Z and Demi Lovato also performing alongside Bollywood bigwigs such as Shah Rukh Khan and Amitabh Bachchan.Related articles:—http://mgiep.unesco.org/the-un-learn-workshop-on-difference-learning-for-instructors-09-10-april-2016-iit-delhi-2/Contact Information:–Ms Radhika BHATNAGAR r.bhatnagar@unesco.org, Communications Officer 
IICBA participated in the Follow-up Workshop on GCED (Global Citizenship Education) in East Africa 23 November 2016 Asia-Pacific Center of Education for International Understanding (APCEIU) together with the national commission for UNESCO in Uganda have organized a two-day capacity building workshop in Kampala, Uganda from 3-4 November 2016. Concurrently, a 'Curriculum Development Workshop' that attempts to mainstream GCED in curricula in Uganda has been held. IICBA has been mainly invited to the capacity building workshop and Dr. Binyam Sisay attended the two-day workshop representing IICBA. On the first day, Dr. Binyam gave presentation to introduce IICBA's activities, its interest on GCED, its ongoing collaboration with APCEIU and suggested areas of future collaboration. On the second day, he was assigned to moderate an afternoon session that deliberates on developing GCED strategies in East Africa.The participants of the follow-up workshop were 14 teachers, teacher educators and policy makers who are alumni of capacity building workshop/fellowships at APCEIU in Seoul. The participants came from Uganda, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Lesotho, Mozambique, South Sudan, Rwanda, Burundi and Senegal. APCEIU has also been represented in the workshop through the Director, Dr. Utak Chung, the head of the office of education and training, Ms. Yangsook Lee and four additional colleagues. The main purpose of the workshop is to provide forum for the alumni in Africa to share their experiences, practices and strategies for effective implementation of GCED and to exchange views on how to scale-up the conduct of similar workshop in the future in Africa. Accordingly, participants presented the works that they have done in their own countries and suggested different ways of expanding the initiative to many countries in Africa. The participants requested IICBA to play a key role in expanding similar capacity building workshops in Africa. During the workshop, APCEIU has revealed its intention to launch an online campus on GCED and a demonstration of its sample e-learning contents and its modalities has been presented. The online campus is expected to be operational before the beginning of 2017. 
Holocaust Education on the GCED Clearinghouse 31 October 2016 UNESCO encourages Member States to develop programmes that strengthen a culture of prevention and foster understanding of the causes and consequences of the Holocaust and how genocide can happen so that young people become more aware of the processes that can lead societies to descend into violence. Education about the Holocaust and other cases of genocide in history can be a means to foster the knowledge, skills and behaviours that will help learners become critical thinkers, and active global citizens who value human dignity, reject antisemitism, racism and other forms of prejudice that can lead to group-targeted violence and genocide. The UNESCO GCED Clearinghouse contains the largest database to date of education materials and research pertaining to education about the Holocaust or other genocides. 
An Innovative Platform for Global Citizenship Education 31 October 2016 The first APCEIU International Conference on Global Citizenship Education (GCED): Platform for Pedagogy and Practice provided a forum for over 300 GCED practitioners to share their experiences and pedagogical approaches one year after the adoption of the Education 2030 Agenda, which includes GCED within one of its targets.The Conference took place on 24-25 October 2016 in Seoul, Republic of Korea and was co-organized by the Asia-Pacific Centre of Education for International Understanding (APCEIU), the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Korea and JoongAng Ilbo, in partnership with UNESCO.Participants from the private sector, academia, government, civil society organizations, GCED specialized institutes, youth and general public engaged in active discussions and exchanges on vitalizing GCED, sharing practices, pedagogies, ideas, and insights. The international conference contributed to reinforcing partnerships among key stakeholders, while formulating strong advocacy and awareness raising on GCED and advancing GCED at the local, national, regional and global levels.What does it mean to be a global citizen?In her opening remarks, Ms Soo Hyang Choi, Director of UNESCO’s Division for Inclusion, Peace and Sustainable Development, emphasized the important role of Global Citizenship Education to foster in learners “a mindset to care for humanity and the planet to undertake responsible actions when and where necessary”.The conference allowed participants to engage in policy dialogue, sharing their visions of GCED in favourable policy environments, and discussing what kind of competencies, skills, or attitudes are required for global citizens to contribute to building sustainable and peaceful societies.“Educators around the world must take on the challenge of empowering youth to become responsible citizens of a peaceful and sustainable global community,” said Mr Utak Chung, APCEIU’s Director.Vibrant exchanges to gain practical knowledge on how to teach and assess GCED were driven by interactive discussions, innovative sessions, participatory dialogues, innovative teaching-learning activities, and a demonstration of mini-lessons.The GCED Talks: Learning to Live Together allowed GCED advocates to share personal stories about how education had transformed their lives making them active and responsible global citizens.Thematic approaches were discussed as methods of delivery to nurture global citizenship, such as Building a Culture of Peace, Respect for Cultural Diversity, the Prevention of Violent Extremism through education and Human Rights Education.This conference aims to become a yearly platform for GCED actors to share actions and practices and discuss ways in which GCED can help resolve many critical global issues. 
“Envisioning Eternal Wonders behind Lens”, the 14th EIU Photo Class in Siem Reap, Cambodia 28 October 2016 On 16 October 2016, the 14th EIU Photo Class held in Siem Reap, Cambodia ended successfully. Under the theme of “Envisioning Eternal Wonders Behind Lens”, the 14th EIU Photo Class was co-organized by APCEIU and Cambodian Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport(MoEYS) for 7days from 10 October to 16 October. Twenty-one Cambodian and eight Korean students, together with three professional photographers explored various places in Siem Reap such as Angkor Wat, the most representative historical site, as well as the UNESCO World Heritage Site, Tonle Sap Lake and a traditional local market. They not only took photos but also participated in various programmes such as Global Citizenship Education (GCED) Workshop, Cross-Cultural Awareness Programme, EIU Photo Workshop. On the last day of the Photo Class, there was an exhibition of 66 photos selected by the participating students and photographers at Phokeetra Ballroom, Sofitel Hotel, Siem Reap. As a grand finale of the programme, the photo exhibition attracted about 500 people including Dr. Bae Ki-Dong, Chairperson of APCEIU’s Governing Board; H.E. Im Koch, Secretary of State of Cambodian MoEYS; H.E. Park Seung Gyoo, Consul General of the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Cambodia; parents and teachers of Cambodian participants; staff of the Cambodian MoEYS as well as Siem Reap provincial department of MoEYS; and Korean Association in Siem Reap. The guests appreciated diversity and elegance of Siem Reap in the photos taken by the Korean and Cambodian students. Representing all the Korean students, Ms. Shin Haenaran said, “Through this Photo Class, we were able to draw lights into each other’s heart” and added, “I believe that when we look back on these pictures, we will find our image as global citizens, bounds together as one”. A Cambodian student Mr. Yorn Sovanna commented, “I’m very pleased that I got to know about Global Citizenship Education and also had a chance to interact with Korean friends”. He also said “I really appreciate the opportunity to participate in this programme”. The photos taken in Cambodia will be exhibited online for a world-wide audience through EIU Photos Class Archive (photoclass.unescoapceiu.org). The EIU Photo Class provides opportunities for students from all around the world to learn EIU and GCED through the art of photography. Participants get to learn how to express their thoughts, shed new light on their daily lives and surroundings by taking photos under the instruction of professional photographers. Since its inception in the Philippines in 2006, APCEIU has captured various forms of life from many different places around the world such as Bhutan, Republic of Palau, Laos, Bangladesh, Iran, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Tonga, Indonesia, Turkey and Russia. URL:“Envisioning Eternal Wonders behind Lens”, the 14th EIU Photo Class in Siem Reap, Cambodia > APCEIU News - APCEIU (unescoapceiu.org) 
Seizing on Momentum for Mother Tongue in Asia-Pacific: 5th International Conference on Language and Education Conference Opens in Bangkok 20 October 2016 BANGKOK – 19 OCTOBER 2016: Asia-Pacific is quickly becoming a global leader in mother-tongue based multilingual education (MTB-MLE) – momentum an international conference that opened here today looks to seize and build upon for the benefit of millions of ethnolinguistic minority learners in the region.The 5th International Conference on Language and Education: Sustainable Development Through Educationbrings together more than 300 participants from 34 countries to discuss challenges and showcase solutions related to MTB-MLE.In his welcoming remarks, Gwang-Jo Kim, Director of UNESCO Bangkok, the Asia-Pacific Regional Bureau for Education, noted how central the approach is to global efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).“Our ambitious universal education agenda is rooted in SDG 4, which calls on all countries to ‘ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all,’” he said. “MTB-MLE is vital in this regard, as it makes education systems more relevant and responsive to cultural and linguistic diversity. This approach is undeniably at the heart of inclusive and equitable quality education and lifelong learning for all.”Dr Kim also took a moment to remember and pay tribute to His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand, who passed away on 13 October at the age of 88. He highlighted, in particular, His Majesty’s efforts in improving the lives of those living in some of the most remote reaches of Thailand, many of whom are ethnolinguistic minority speakers. “In addition to his tireless development work, His Majesty was also a passionate advocate for education and his ceaseless pursuit of knowledge exemplified the spirit of lifelong learning,” Dr Kim said. “His legacy is an inspiration – let us carry it forward.”Opening the conference, Thai Deputy Minister of Education Dr Teerakiat Jareonsettasin spoke of the need to develop language policy in Thailand, calling language, "tool to access culture, probably the greatest tool that human beings have to make good progress in education." "The Ministry of Education is committed to including all Thai citizens in national development, and to be proud of our cultural and linguistic diversity,” he said. “The Ministry of Education is also committed to maintaining cultural diversity, strengthening education, and upholding the human rights and educational rights of ethnic minority children as enshrined in the United Nations declarations Thailand has signed, as well as in the Royal Society of Thailand’s proposed national language policy.”Both Dr Kim and Dr Teerakiat highlighted a Thailand-based programme that was recently celebrated at UNESCO headquarters. The Research Institute for Languages and Cultures of Asia of Mahidol University in Thailand was awarded the UNESCO King Sejong Literacy Prize for its “Patani Malay-Thai Bi/Multilingual Education Project”.The programme, which is supported by UNICEF and the Thailand Research Fund, aims to boost the academic performance of students in the deep South, where most learners speak Patani-Malay. The successful approach was lauded by jury members for its "success in sustaining the performance of Malay-speaking students in the primary schools of southern Thailand”.In her keynote address, Dr Susan Malone, Senior Consultant for Literacy and Education at SIL International, noted some of the lessons learned in more than three decades of the MTB-MLE movement, providing a detailed reflection on essential components of successful programmes."MTB-MLE is the only way to ensure that SDG4 will be achieved in non-dominant language communities," she says. "At this moment in time we can say we're getting there... We’ve learned a lot. Let’s work together on getting what we have learned out to the world." Asia-Pacific is home to some of the most comprehensive MTB-MLE policies in the world, including in the Philippines, a regional leader in institutionalizing the approach, and Cambodia, where the Multilingual Education National Action Plan (MENAP), launched in March, provides a detailed roadmap to reaching ethnic minority children. The three-day conference will aim to learn from and build on the region’s notable recent successes in MTB-MLE policy, practice and research by covering four key themes: 1) Towards Sound Policies on Multilingual Education: Language and Language-in-Education Policy and Planning in Asia and the Pacific; 2) MLE Teachers and Teacher Training for MLE; 3) MLE Practice/Praxis in Early Childhood and Primary Education; 4) Language and Cross-Cutting Issues of Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).The 5th International Conference on Language and Education is an initiative of the Asia Pacific Multilingual Education Working Group, a consortium of UN agencies, intergovernmental organizations and academics advocating on behalf of ethnolinguistic communities through multilingual education initiatives and related policy advocacy throughout Asia-Pacific.UNESCO Media Contact: Noel Boivin, UNESCO Bangkok Media and Communications Officer, n.boivin@unesco.orgConference website: www.lc.mahidol.ac.th/mleconf/2016/background.htmMore on UNESCO’s work in MTB-MLE: www.unescobkk.org/education/multilingual-education/