A group of education stakeholders in Nairobi County has called on the government to consider including the French language as a new subject under the Competency Based Curriculum (CBC).
Speaking during a French symposium in Buruburu that brought together several schools across the country, the educators expressed the significance of incorporating French into the new curriculum, adding that it would help enrich the education framework and create opportunities for Kenyan students globally.
Addressing the press on Saturday, March 8, the French teachers highlighted the growing significance of understanding multiple languages, adding that French as a subject was an added advantage in enhancing the country’s diplomacy, business opportunities, and cultural exchange.
According to the teachers, the language was important in securing foreign jobs, particularly in French-speaking nations, as the understanding of the language eases interaction while abroad.
“We have examined the French language nationally; the language is so important to us that we cannot ignore it. It creates a job market; we also need to embrace French so that it can help leaders who want to go and work in French-speaking countries,” noted Jackson Bukachi, a French teacher.
While calling for the integration of French in the new curriculum, the stakeholders also noted that the understanding of the language would help diversify cultures by adopting the relevant values from the countries that speak French.
“Bilingual is the way to go because you will notice that we have language barriers when it comes to communicating internationally,” said Wyckliffe Nangabo, an educationist.
“We need our learners to be able to speak French because of cultural diversity and also because French is spoken all over the world,” Nangabo added.
While the new education system allows for the teaching of indigenous African languages in CBC schools, the system does not provide a framework for the incorporation of foreign languages in schools.
French is the first foreign language taught in Kenyan schools, with more than 40,000 students in secondary schools and 8,000 in tertiary institutions currently undertaking French lessons.
Meanwhile, with the government’s plan to categorise senior secondary schools into career pathways, it is not yet clear whether the Ministry of Education will allow foreign languages to be taught in the schools.
In the significant overhaul of the CBC system, the Ministry of Education also plans to make mathematics and sciences mandatory subjects for all learners regardless of their career pathways.
