French delegation visits education minister

The French Ambassador to Nigeria, Jacques Champagne labriolle, recently led a delegation to ministry of education as part of collaborative effort with the ministry on the improvement of French language teaching in Nigeria. The ambassador said that as part of the work on the 3rd project, there is the need ‘’to address a number of issues which we believe will help in the preparation of the next project, drawing on the experience of the two first project, I believe we can improve and we also want to keep the momentum of what has been done over ten years’’.

He further added that the French government ‘’ have trained 3500 teachers in Nigeria and have centers in Ibadan, Enugu and Jos.  We need them to be further integrated into the Nigeria system, our idea is to detach 12 experts already member of this ministry to these centers so that they can help’’.

The ambassador acknowledged that previously, there were in SS2 more than 150,000 students that learn French, but few years later there are only 40,000. He therefore called for an urgent review of the situation, especially the revival of the teaching of French in this country and the introduction of French language in the curriculum. He further observed that French is in competition with other subjects which are also very important like physical education or even more importantly religious education.

The Ambassador called d for a good system of training and helping the students if they want to go to the university and that the subjects (diploma) be increased to ten by including French being the only foreign language in Nigeria, we need to find solution

Earlier while welcoming her guests, the education minister expressed delight over the cordiality between the ministry and the embassy on the programme, noting that French language will enhance better relationship with other countries. she added that Nigeria appreciate’’ the technical and financial support of the french government that has been rendered to her through the Nigeria French Language project in Badagry, and the several   centers for French teaching and documentation that  are located in the various parts of the country.

The minister restated the commitment of her ministry to the sustenance of the French language project by ensuring the third project is being initiated by 2013, to create a better future for Nigerian youths.

 

 

Posted by on September 17, 2012. Filed under Education. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.