The Marshall Islands has announced what it calls a bold change to its public school teaching strategy, extending bilingual education through to the 12th grade.
The new plan will have the Marshallese language as the language of instruction for all subjects, except English Language Arts, from kindergarten through to the sixth grade.
From grades seven to 12, the language of instruction will be a near 50-50 bilingual arrangement.
A kid in the Marshall Islands Photo: RNZI
The director the the country's Customary Law and Language commission, Alfred Capelle, says an innovative community based approach is needed to address linguistic and cultural human rights, and achieve effective education.
He says this will bring students, teachers and parents together to write their own bilingual school materials, and teach each other in the process.
Local educators acknowledge they have a huge task to implement the new policy, as there are few textbooks in Marshallese language.
