What is mother tongue-based multilingual education?

Mother tongue-based multilingual education (MTB-MLE) is a type of education system that emphasizes the use of the students' mother tongue or first language in the classroom. It is a pedagogical approach that recognizes the importance of using the language that students are most familiar with to help them learn new concepts and skills. MTB-MLE aims to support students' language development, cognitive abilities, academic success, and cultural identity. This approach also promotes multilingualism and preserves linguistic diversity by valuing and maintaining the mother tongue of each student.