Language Policy and Education Outcomes in Multilingual Ethiopia: A Comparative Analysis

Ethiopia is a multilingual nation with over 80 indigenous languages, making language policy an intricate aspect of education and development. A comparative study using secondary data from the Ethiopian National Curriculum Framework and regional government reports, analysing standardised test scores to gauge educational performance. Findings indicate a significant correlation between the implementation of bilingual education programmes and improved academic achievement, particularly in regions where mother-tongue instruction was prioritised over English-only curricula. The study concludes that language policies significantly influence educational outcomes, with multilingual approaches yielding better results compared to monolingual ones. Recommendation for policymakers is the adoption of bilingual education models in all regions to enhance inclusivity and improve learning outcomes among students from diverse linguistic backgrounds.