Bilateral Agreement to Promote French Teaching in Colombia

The Colombian and French Education Ministries have signed a bilateral agreement to expand French language instruction across Colombia. This agreement was sealed on International Francophony Day, March 20, 2024, by Frédéric Doré, the French ambassador to Colombia, and Aurora Vergera Figueroa, Colombian Minister of Education, at the Cundinamarca High School for Girls Mercedes Nariño. The event was attended by an audience of 600 students, families, teachers and other Colombian and international educators.

The “Suggested Curriculum for Teaching and Learning French as a Foreign Language” aims at expanding French language teaching throughout Colombia, particularly in rural areas, focusing on educational programs that enhance language instruction from preschool through to middle school education.

French language teaching in Colombia

The teaching of the French language in Colombia enjoys considerable popularity ; as of 2024, there are over 300,000 francophones in the country. Indeed, the French education network is well-established, with 187 French institutes spread across 42 cities and more than a thousand French teachers educating 72,000 Colombian students.

The new bilateral agreement aims to further expand this already extensive network, specifically targeting the Colombian education system’s 9^th, 10^th and 11^th grades, which correspond to high school years. Funded by the French Solidarity Fund for Innovative Projects (FSPI), the project has a budget of 600,000 pesos and aligns with the standards of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.

French language, an international tool

During her speech, the Colombian Minister of Education encouraged all Colombian schools to adopt the Curriculum for Teaching and Learning French. Speaking to the students, she highlighted the French language as a tool that could “empower [their] voice to chart the course of [their] dreams and restore [their] own dignity and that of the country”.

Accordingly, the High School for Girls Mercedes Nariño became the first institution in Colombia to be awarded the Label FrancEducation quality seal. This certification acknowledges and assures the quality of French language instruction outside of France.

With more than 300 million speakers worldwide, French ranks as the fifth most spoken language globally, with significant presence across all continents, especially in Europe and Africa. Owing to its rich cultural, literary and diplomatic legacy, the French language holds a prestigious status and serves as one of the working languages of the United Nations and European Union.