This article is a pedagogical response to the theoretical and ideological stance which suggests that not all languages are worthy of inclusion in the school curriculum. It argues that, like any other resource, languages can be developed, conserved, and promoted through education. Very often, languages and cultures in contemporary socio-political discourses are referred to as valuable resources of a nation. However, citing a lack of resources and practical relevance, scholars contest the ways and the extent to which these languages should be developed and preserved. This article challenges such a politico-economic stance and recommends that a plurilingual education policy, based on the ground realities of a nation and a linguistic ecology needs to be considered for the development and promotion of languages.
Presenting Nepal as a case, the article claims that in its complex linguistic context, plurilingual education is more relevant than bi- and tri-lingual education, and therefore, there is a need for a pedagogical shift in language education. Nepal, a small, multilingual Himalayan nation has embarked upon seeking a new political will and a fresh mandate for developing an inclusive language education policy in the federal system of governance. The federal states are seeking to adopt the three-language education policy with Nepali, English, and one locally chosen language. In a context where there are scores of languages, this policy is flawed for more than one reason. The paper analyses the proposed policy and offers a language education framework with a view to re-engineering plurilingualism at the grassroots level. Based on the relevance of fostering individual as well as societal plurilingualism, and an analysis of related literature, it argues that in the developing socio-political scenario and existing linguistic landscape, the much-hyped three-language education formula will damage the existing linguistic fabric and create further divisions in the Nepalese population.