Diplomat Urges More Ugandan Schools To Teach German

By Ibrahim Ruweza

German ambassador Matthias Schauer has urged more schools in Uganda to teach German as a foreign language.

He made the call during a courtesy visit to Kibuli Secondary School on Tuesday.

Kibuli is one of the schools in Uganda that teach German — the second most spoken language in Europe.

Over 100 million people call it their native language and an estimated 15 million speak and learn German as a foreign language.

Ambassador Schauer said there is a need for every school to start teaching the language.

Justifying his call, he said Germany has created opportunities for Ugandans, including offering scholarships as well as employment.

The diplomat said such opportunities may be missed from the lack of knowledge about the German culture, including the language.

Schauer said if Ugandan schools teach German, graduates will stand a higher chance of being employed in German-speaking countries in Europe.

He also said a big part of Uganda’s young population is keen on adopting new cultures for exposure and learning experiences.

In February 2008, the Federal Foreign Office launched the ‘Schools: Partners for the Future’ (PASCH) initiative, aimed at creating and strengthening a global network of some 2000 partner schools with special links to Germany.

The beneficiary schools in Uganda are Kibuli Secondary School and Mengo Senior School.

Claudia Schilling, the head of the school sector at Goethe Institute in Nairobi, said learning a new language creates a growth mindset and gives learners a sense of better interaction.

Germany is one of the world’s leading economies in technological advancement.

Schilling said learning German would give those familiar with it a chance to advance in that context.

Exposure

Ismael Mulindwa is the director of basic and secondary education at the Ministry of Education and Sports.

He said Germany has been a long-time partner of Uganda in the education sector, adding that learning German will create more employment opportunities for foreign speakers.

“It is not only for the language. Be sure to get employment and expose yourself to other opportunities,” he said.

Mulindwa assured schools interested in teaching the language that the education ministry will be willing to offer them support.