“Impact evaluations show children who start learning in their own language do better in everything — not just reading, but across subjects,” says Mamadou Amadou Ly, Executive Director of Associates in Research and Education for Development (ARED) and our 2025 Yidan Prize for Education Development Laureate.

Mamadou is dedicated to making bilingual education the norm in Senegal through the Harmonized Bilingual Education Model, which begins by teaching primary school children in their mother tongues alongside French, then gradually transitions to full French instruction. By 2029, Senegal aims to transition all primary schools to the bilingual model.

In an interview with Devex, Mamadou shares how he and his team refine their bilingual education approach, develop culturally rooted resources to support the model, and overcome the challenges of scale.    

Read the full article here.