As the pilot scheme of the Rivers State Ministry of Education free holiday French lessons kicks off, government has pledged to sponsor the best student during the exercise to Paris, France.
The pledge was made by the Commissioner for Education Dame Alice Nemi during the closing ceremony of the French holiday lessons held for selected secondary schools in the state.
Dame Nemi stressed that the gesture is part of the state government’s effort to re-engineer the study of French in public schools.
She opined that the French training programme is intended to expose the students to the rudiments and dynamics in the study of French at a resourceful environment equipped with adequate facilities.
In her words: “This is why the state government donated a piece of land for the developments of French Language Resource Centre in Rivers State for the promotion of the study of French in public secondary schools”.
The initiative is coming at the heels of the declaration of French as Nigeria Second National Language by the Federal Government but also the inclusion of French as a core subject in the secondary school curriculum.
She further declared, “This is why I see the honouring of the best students in the Special Training Progrramme for French Language facilitated by the management of Alliance Française”.
In his remarks, a representative of United Bank for Africa, Mr. Eugene Abeb, co-sponsor of the holiday lessons said the bank would partner with the ministry to encourage the students of French in public secondary schools.
As a social responsibility package, Mr. Abeb said the bank would encourage the learning of international language which has a great potentials for its speakers.
Similarly, president of Alliance Francaise, Chief O.J. Akiri lauded the initiative of the ministry to engage the mind of all students during holidays in meaningful programmes that would transform their lives.
He, however, called on the state government to organise a similar refresher courses for French Teachers regularly to improve their knowledge.
Responding on behalf of all the participants in the French classes, Mr. Goodhead Lucky thanked the state government for the opportunity offered him and others to refresh and improve the study of French.
