An Intervention Study on Language Policy, Educational Attainment and Gender Disparities in Zambia, 2021–2026

This intervention study examines the critical nexus between language policy, educational attainment, and entrenched gender disparities in Zambia, a multilingual African state. It investigates the hypothesis that the 2014 policy mandating familiar local languages as the medium of instruction in early primary education (Grades 1–4) could disproportionately disadvantage girls, particularly in linguistically heterogeneous urban settings. Employing a longitudinal mixed-methods design (2021–2026), the research integrated quantitative analysis of national assessment data for over 5,000 pupils with qualitative focus group discussions involving teachers, parents, and learners across six provinces. The findings demonstrate a significant correlation between linguistic mismatch in classrooms and lower literacy scores. Quantitative results indicate that girls in such contexts were 1.8 times more likely than boys to fall below proficiency benchmarks by Grade 4. Qualitative analysis revealed how socio-cultural norms, exacerbated by language barriers, intensify girls’ domestic burdens and reduce classroom participation. The study contends that a uniform language-in-education policy, without context-sensitive implementation and gender-responsive pedagogical support, inadvertently reinforces inequality. It concludes with recommendations for a more nuanced, community-engaged policy framework that proactively identifies and mitigates gendered obstacles to learning, thereby contributing to the pursuit of equitable educational development in Africa.