The aspiration to ensure that girls can access, continue in, and benefit from, education is a global priority and part of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. At the same time, though largely separately from the consideration of challenges faced by girls in education, global institutions are increasingly taking a public stance on the importance of language-of-instruction (LoI) policy for inclusive, quality education, asserting that learners should be taught using a language they understand. With evidence from Rwanda, Tanzania, Ghana, Kenya, Ethiopia, Somalia, Sierra Leone and Egypt, this policy brief demonstrates that these two issues cannot continue to be considered separately. Rather, LoI must be considered as a policy priority if we are to enable all girls to access and progress in quality, equitable education.

This policy brief was produced in collaboration with the University of Bath Department of Education and Girls' Education Challenge, initiated through an ESRC-funded project on girls' educational experiences in English medium Rwandan basic education.