According to the ministry’s National Curriculum Development Center (NCDC), the program will be piloted in 35 schools with future plans to expand the programme to more schools.
35 teachers, who were trained for 9 months in 2018, will spearhead the classes. The Mandarin classes will be compulsory for 2 years for senior secondary school students, and subsequently become optional.
According to Ms Esther Mbayo, the Minister for Presidency, the decision to teach Chinese in schools was informed by the increasing bilateral trade and the growing friendship between both countries.
Uganda becomes the second country in Africa to introduce Mandarin into school curriculums, following South Africa that started in 2014.
