The International French Teachers’ Day is celebrated every November to recognize and appreciate the dedication and passion of French teachers around the world. Since 2019, this day has been commemorated globally.
In Uganda, the Association of Teachers of French in Uganda (Association des Professeurs de Français en Ouganda – APFO), joined the rest of the world to celebrate the day at a function held in the main hall of Makerere University’s College of Engineering, Design, Art and Technology (CEDAT) on Thursday, 20th November.
This year’s theme, “Singing, Playing, Teaching French Through Music,” inspired the creation of an official APFO anthem. The anthem was written and performed in French by Bwambale Jacob, whose song was selected as the winner by the jury, beating two other contestants, Patrick Masereka and Rev. Brian Nsubuga.
APFO also launched a new book titled “French Made Easy,” designed for senior secondary schools. The book contains several chapters created to help teachers simplify French teaching. It was officially launched by the French Ambassador to Uganda, Her Excellency Virginie Leroy, who was the chief guest.
Speaking at the event, Dr. Agartha the President of APFO, thanked the French Embassy and Alliance Française for their support.
“This year’s theme was about singing, playing, and teaching French using music, and we used this opportunity to launch our anthem as the association of French teachers in Uganda. We also launched our book French Made Easy because in the past, all the textbooks have not been Ugandan. This book gives learners a chance to connect more, and we find it important to use contextualized materials,” said Atwine.
In her remarks, the French Ambassador praised Ugandan teachers and students for their strong performance in French.
“I have been travelling and living in different African countries for about 20 years, and I find Ugandan students and teachers very good at French. The best way to learn is to speak, and the best way to speak is to try. I want to congratulate all students and teachers.”
French is taught in many Ugandan schools and institutions, with about 397 institutions and around 20,000 learners as of 2020. The Alliance Française de Kampala and other groups are now working to introduce French in primary schools, seeing it as an important step because the language is becoming more useful in the region.
