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A Multimillion Project Established To Improve French Teaching

by Williams Buningwire
10:12 am

At the launch of Francophonie week in Kigali

Rwanda and France have injected 10 million euros in a project that intends to promote teaching of French from primary through university in Rwanda.

“It is a big project. The government wants to build a knowledge-based economy. Students should graduate with skills needed on the labour market, skills in speaking different languages which is key in communication,” Dr. Valentine Uwamariya, Minister of Education said.

The launch of the French project coincided with the week of French language, an annual cultural event organized since 1988 in several countries like France, Switzerland, Belgium and Quebec.

The event organized in partnership with the Organization International of Francophonie (OIF), which includes 84 States and Governments, aims to reinforce the bridges between French-speaking people around the world, but also to “reveal to everyone the treasury of their diversity.”

“French language needs to be extended to everyone; there is a big part of the country where people don’t know it and don’t speak it,” Dr. Uwamariya added.

Minister of Education Dr. Valentine Uwamariya

She pointed out that teaching and learning of the language will be an innovative teaching practice geared towards the specific needs of international exchange contexts.

In his speech during the celebration of the International Day of La Francophonie, Ambassador of France to Rwanda Antoine Anfré recalled that the French language remains a link between France and Rwanda that should be consolidated.
 “I am deeply convinced that multilingualism is a magnificent opportunity for Rwandan development,” Amb. Anfré said.

France, OIF and the government have been working together to bolster teaching and learning of French for several years. For example, last year the government received 200 French teachers from OIF in a bid to enhance French language teaching in local schools.

They were received from 11 French-speaking countries on a mission to boost teaching of French language in Rwandan primary and secondary schools.

They were dispatched into Teacher Training Colleges (TTCs) and public and government-aided schools.

For a period of two years (one year, renewable), they are now teaching French to students and training  fellow teachers.

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