Accra, April 23, GNA - Ministry of Education, Science and Sports on Wednesday signed a 2.7 million Ghana cedis (1.8 million euros) agreement with the French Embassy for the implementation of three projects to improve the teaching and learning of French in Ghana. Ghana is benefiting from the funding by virtue of her membership of the Francophonie International Organization (OIF), which she joined in 2006.

Professor Dominic Fobih, Minister of Education, Science and Sports signed on behalf of Ghana whilst Mr Pierre Jacquemont, Ambassador of France to Ghana, singed on behalf of France. Under the project, focus would be on capacity building in one district in each of the 10 regions to address the in-service training needs in districts with the highest number of French teachers in active service.

Resource centres would be established and supervisors trained in pilot districts in line with the decentralization process undertaken in the educational sector.

The second objective seeks to improve teaching of French at the University level in language departments in all four major universities in the country in order to train specialists in French language such as lecturers/researchers and translators, whilst doctoral courses would be developed in collaboration with French universities.

The third objective is to focus on the teaching of French in tertiary education with the aim of developing French for professional purposes.

This objective also seeks to establish Multimedia centres as well as train instructors to support the implementation of specific courses designed for students in different faculties of Ghanaian universities including the bilingual department of University for Development Studies (UDS) in Tamale.

Prof. Fobih, who described the project as a refreshing one, regretted that neighbouring French-speaking countries were able to speak and write English whilst the Ghanaian was still lagging behind in the French language.

He said the only way to bridge this gap and ensure proper integration of the continent was to make French a functional language in all educational institutions.

Prof. Fobih said the effective implementation of the project would promote a free society without any form of restrictions. He expressed appreciation to the French Government for the support.