Medium of instruction
A medium of instruction (plural: usu. Mediums of instruction, but the archaic media of instruction is still used by some) is a language used in teaching. It may or may not be the official language of the country or territory. Where the first language of students is different from the official language, it may be used as the medium of instruction for part or all of schooling. Bilingual or multilingual education may involve the use of more than one language of instruction. UNESCO considers that "providing education in a child's mother tongue is indeed a critical issue".
Media of instruction in different countries and regions
Africa
In Tanzania, Swahili is used in primary schools and adult education, whereas English is used in secondary schools and universities.
In Zimbabwe, use of English, Shona and Ndebele is established in education until the fourth grade; from the fourth grade, English is the medium of instruction
In South Africa, students are primarily taught in their home language from Grade Zero (Reception Year) up to Grade 3. From Grade 4 onwards, English is the default language of learning and teaching, except for a minority of schools where Afrikaans is used. The national curriculum requires that all students study at least two official languages as separate subjects, one of which must be studied at home language (HL) level and the other at least at first additional language (FAL) level. The most common home language among the school population is isiZulu.