Expert:Mamadou Amadou Ly
Role:Laureate of the 2025 Yidan Prize for Education Development, and Executive Director ofthe Associates in Research and Education for Development(ARED) in Senegal.
Impact: Mamadou Amadou Ly is a trained mechanical engineer who transitioned into education, and has dedicated over 35 years to improving foundational learning in Africa. With expertise in comparative education, bilingual pedagogy, teacher training, and mother-tongue-based education, he has been instrumental in breaking down language and learning barriers in West Africa.He has championed the integration of Senegal's local languages with French in a bilingual education model that has been adopted into national education policy and expanded to countries including Gambia and Mauritania. He has actively participated in China-Africa educational exchanges and is committed to fostering mutual learning among Global South countries.
Editor's Note
During his recent visit to China, Mr. Mamadou AmadouLy visited the Teacher Education Centre (TEC) under the auspices of UNESCOand engaged in discussion with the TEC team on several educational issues.
Amidst underinvestment in education and a deepening learning crisis, ensuring that every child—regardless of their mother tongue—has access to quality education remains a common challenge for Global South countries. The 2025 Yidan Prize for Education Development was awarded to Mr. Ly in recognition of his outstanding contributions to promoting mother-tongue bilingual education and advancing inclusive and equitable learning in Africa. The following interview focuses on bilingual education, teacher development and educational equityin Africa.
A Bilingual Education Path Rooted in the Mother Tongue
Question: You began your career as a mechanical engineer before transitioning into education, a field you have devoted over thirty-five years to. What motivated this life choice? And when did you first realize that language is a critical factor affecting children's learning outcomes?
I did begin my career in mechanical engineering. It was an exciting field, but I soon felt a need to contribute more directly to my country's development. Through volunteer work, I helped illiterate members of my community learn to read and write and receive training; their feedback convinced me that education is the most powerful lever for lasting social change. So this shift was not an abandonment but a choice grounded in conviction.
Through years of working with schools and communities, I came to understand that language lies at the heart of learning. I saw adults regain their dignity through education in just a few months, and I also saw many bright children fail—not because they couldn't grasp the content, but because they couldn't understand the language of instruction. This realization profoundly shaped my commitment to bilingual education based on languages that children actually understand.
Question: Some argue that in an increasingly globalized world, the earlier children learn international languages like French or English, the greater their future opportunities. Yet you have long advocated for learning first in the mother tongue before introducing French. How do you respond to this view?
I am not opposed to learning French or any other international language. On the contrary, these languages open important doors. However, research and our experience both show that children learn better when they first build foundational knowledge in a language they already know well.
The mother tongue is not an obstacle to French—it is the best springboard. When a child learns to read, reason, and solve problems early in their first language, these skills transfer much more easily to a second or even additional languages. Our goal, therefore, is successful bilingualism—not replacing one language with another, butbuilding a strong foundation before adding further linguistic layers.
Question: In Senegal, many children enter primary school without sufficient proficiency in French, yet French is the language of instruction. ARED has developed a bilingual model that builds learning in the mother tongue first before gradually introducing French. How is this approach implemented in the classroom? What practices have proven most effective?
Our approach begins instruction in the children's mother tongue. They learn to read, write, count, and develop their thinking in a language they know well. French is then introduced progressively—first as a subject, allowing students to acquire vocabulary and oral language skills, and later as a language of instruction for certain subjects.
This transition is carefully prepared through three key elements: adapted teaching materials designed with a bilingual approach; targeted teacher training, particularly in bilingual pedagogy and interactive teaching methods; and highly interactive classroom practices. The results show that students gain stronger competencies in both their mother tongue and French as a second language.
Teacher Development and Educational Equityin the Bilingual Learning Environment
Question: Beyond language, ARED has also transformed teaching practices—moving from traditional blackboard-and-lecture instruction toward more interactive learning approaches. In your view, what is the greatest challenge teachers face in this transition? And if you could give one piece of advice to a young teacher just beginning such pedagogical reforms, what would it be?
Most in-service teachers were trained in French and are accustomed to teaching in French. Because students cannot fully understand the language of instruction, teaching often becomes teacher-centered.The greatest challenge is often changing this role—shifting from teacher-centered instruction to student-centered learning. When students learn in a language they understand, they flourish, gain confidence, and participate actively in class—but this requires a deep change in professional habits.
The advice I would give is simple: trust children's abilities. When they are given opportunities to express themselves, think together, and participate actively, they learn better and with greater joy. The teacher is not only a transmitter of knowledge; more importantly, they create the conditions that allow students to build their own learning.
Question: There is an ancient Chinese saying, "You jiao wu lei" （有教无类） which means that education should be available to all, regardless of background. ARED has long worked with the most vulnerable children. In your view, what does "educational equity" truly mean? In a classroom where students have diverse language backgrounds and varying levels of proficiency, how can teachers genuinely address the needs of each child?
Equity does not mean treating all children identically; at its heart is giving each child what they need to succeed.
In a classroom with students at different levels, this means using differentiated methods, promoting group work, valuing children's languages and realities, and paying special attention to those facing the greatest difficulties. ARED's experience shows that urban and rural students face different sociolinguistic realities, that girls and boys often encounter different social circumstances, and that not all students in a classroom learn in the same way. A fair school is one that leaves no one behind.
Editor: RENZhen
