By Faten Omar

KUWAIT: The Embassy of France held a reception on Wednesday in honor of the International Day of French Language Teachers. Ambassador of France to Kuwait Claire Le Flecher honored French language teachers in Kuwait, saying this reception comes within the framework of the International Day of French Language Teachers at the initiative of President Emmanuel Macron as part of a plan for the French language and multilingualism.

"This day is an opportunity to thank the 1,000 French teachers in Kuwait whose mission is to create meaning for generations by opening up to the French-speaking world and dreaming of the French language," she said. Flecher revealed that at the initiative of the French Embassy and Institut Francais in Kuwait, a regional training course in French as a foreign language will be held in February in Kuwait, where 70 participants from five countries (Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait) will be there.

The ambassador affirmed the reception honors the continued and growing momentum of cooperation between the two countries, with commitment from the Kuwaiti Ministry of Education, Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research, public and private institutions, as well as the Institut Francais in Kuwait, confirming that the signing in March 2022 of a Declaration of Understanding to enhance educational cooperation is an important outcome.

On the sidelines of the event, Anwar Al-Kandari, director-general for French language at the ministry of education, told Kuwait Times that the celebration of World Teachers' Day is considered an artistic and social day when teachers in Kuwait of all nationalities meet, noting that as the representative of the ministry of education, he is proud to be a part of it. "It is joyful to see teachers, fellow professors and students whom I taught gathered on this celebration," he said.

Kandari revealed that the ministry will introduce French to tenth-grade students in the coming three years, explaining the ministry will seek the opinion of parents and the concerned authority before this subject is introduced in the curriculum. He noted there is a plan to develop and improve the curricula. "Over the next three years, there will be an advanced French curriculum that is completely different from the current one. It will be introduced in the tenth grade of public schools with the approval of parents," he said.

"We are always keen to take the opinion of parents in our activities. This week, we held a workshop in Ahmadi, and we were keen to have parents take part in community participation. We will present the idea to the parents, and if the matter is accepted, it will be implemented," Kandari added.

French is the fifth most spoken language in the world (after Mandarin Chinese, English, Spanish and Arabic). More than 235 million people speak French daily, and nearly 300 million people can express themselves in French. French has been taught in Kuwait since 1966, when it was introduced to the Kuwaiti school system. A community of nearly 1,000 French teachers who teach in public and private schools, secondary schools, institutes and universities were invited.

French is the third language that is taught in Kuwait, after Arabic and English, an indication of the permanent relations between the two countries. Nearly 30,000 learners choose the French language every year, public and private systems combined, including 10,000 students who study French at the baccalaureate level every year. The Council for the Promotion of Francophonie in Kuwait was established in 2021 to provide a space for dialogue and exchange on issues and challenges of Francophonie residents of Kuwait. It brings together French-speaking ambassadors, and the honorary presidency was unanimously attributed to HH Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Sabah.