KAMPALA — The education sector is one of the most hard-hit social services by COVID -19 pandemic.
This has led to innovations and embracing of Technology in order to access learners that are distant.
In the bid to keep afloat with their students, the French Embassy in Uganda, Bonjour Kampala and Alliance Francaise de Kampala organised a workshop with the teachers on how promote quality learning and teaching possible through embracing digital platforms.
Several French teachers under the Association of Teachers of French in Uganda (APFO), officials from Alliance Française and the National Curriculum Development Centre (NCDC) attended the whole-day event dedicated to promoting French as a professional language of communication, training and culture for the youth , students, public and private decision-makers, entrepreneurs, artists and sports personalities.
It was also an opportunity to evaluate the needs of the different stakeholders for a better quality teaching and learning of French language in the country.
In the morning session, Bonjour Kampala inducted the teachers on the mutualisation of the teaching resources of the new national French syllabus for the immediate needs of the learners during the Covid-19 pandemic, with emphasis on distant online education through the media and new technologies.
The Ambassador congratulated all the stakeholders for their continued commitment to promote French language, multilingualism and Francophone cultures, a priority of the Embassy of France in Uganda.
He pledged the Embassy’s support to train more teachers of French in all the regions of the country in line with the needs of the Ministry of Education and Sports. The Ambassador underscored the need to work together to achieve concrete results and better guide the learners in the towns and country side.
In the coming days, the Ambassador is scheduled to pay a working visit to Kabale University to assess the needs of the teachers and the learners in the western region.
He also intends to visit all the other regions on Uganda in coordination with APFO, the association bringing together some 405 teachers of French in 13 regions of the country.
According to the president of APFO, Mr. Isevahani Muhindo, there are currently some 890 learners of French at primary schools, 4,460 at secondary and 1,156 at university levels offering both beginners’ and advanced level French.
Mr. Thomas – Mbusa Letakamba, the director Bonjour Kampala revealed that they organised with teachers from different districts, schools and tertiary institutions such as Kyambogo, Makerere University Kampala and Makerere Business School to see what they can do to support quality learining during this COVID -19 period.
“We are going to give training to teachers from different areas such as Kampala, Mbarara, Lira, Kabale among others such that they can be able to train online their students and also develop a booklet that will be distributed allover the country for those that will not be able to access the digital services and this shall be with the support of the National Curriculum Development Centre( NCDC),” he added.
Thomas Magyezi , a French teacher at Seroma Christian High School cited that being one of the subjects that is non compulsory most of the priority is given to the rest making it challenging due to the limited teaching resources available and expressed excitement that digital reforms to reach the learners are underway and are on- going with support from the Embassy.
