Discourse about language in education goes well beyond educational policy. The issue of mother tongue based
instruction is technical, political, and ideological—and for parents and communities, extremely
personal as well. While supporting the academic success and linguistic empowerment of minoritised children
is an goal, not all societies are prepared for the social and political ramifications of realizing these
goals. Political will and ongoing government support are key to developing ongoing, effective programmes
in mother tongue-based, developmental bilingual learning and to realizing the potential benefits of these
programmes on long-term educational outcomes and social inclusion.