•The agreement will facilitate and reinforce teaching and learning of the French language
•Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum described the initiative as a game-changer to the country’s educational system
Ghana’s Education Ministry and the French Embassy in Ghana have signed a 2021-2022 Cooperation Framework Agreement.
The agreement which is dubbed the Solidarity Fund for Innovative Project is expected to facilitate and reinforce teaching and learning of the French language in basic schools and foster Francophone relations.
Providing details of the agreement on July 5 2021 at a signing ceremony in Accra, Ann Sophie Ave, Ambassador of France to Ghana said the agreement will support the strengthening and capacity of the French language in public education in Ghana.
“Together, Ghana and France, through the project will consolidate French language in Ghana’s public education system, while modernizing its teaching and assessment method. It will also build French teachers’ capacities and equip institutions dedicated to initial training (Colleges of Education-CoE) or continuous training (CREF, Centres régionaux d’enseignement du français)”
She continued, “The project will also support innovative initiatives such as distance learning, development of smartphone applications and Ghanaian bilingual system.”
Ghana’s Education Minister, Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum on his part commended the French Ambassador for the initiative and expressed gratitude for the support extended.
In his remarks, Osei Adutwum described the initiative as a game changer to the country’s educational system.
“Reinforcing the French language in our schools is a game changer and the reason is that the students will be taught in some key subjects in French. For example, if it is Physical Education, the students will be taken through all the aspects of the subject in French while practicing as well,” Adutwum said.
“With this dual emersion of language and subjects programmes, our Ghanaian children will be guaranteed success at an early age and if this project which is supported by French Embassy is done so well, by primary six, most of the students will be proficient in the French language,” he added.
The French Ambassador said an amount of €586,000 euros will be committed towards the project.
