Nearly eight in 10 Filipino students face a mismatch between the language they speak at home and the language used in school, creating what researchers call a “tax” on learning, according to a study by the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) reported by BusinessWorld.
PIDS Senior Research Fellow Michael Ralph M. Abrigo said about 79% of learners experience this disconnect, which can hinder comprehension and academic performance. The study highlights the challenges of implementing a mother-tongue-based multilingual education policy across the country’s diverse linguistic landscape.
The findings underscore the need for more targeted language policy interventions to bridge the gap between home and school languages, ensuring that students are not disadvantaged by linguistic differences.