Accra, July 18, GNA - Dr Marius Haas, the German ambassador to Ghana, has inaugurated the Achimota School German Club, which is part of the German Government's initiative "Schools: Partners for the Future", launched by German Federal Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier. A statement from the German Embassy in Accra, said the goal of the initiative was to build a worldwide network of at least 1,000 partner schools through which the interest in modern-day Germany and the German language would be enhanced. It said additional funds of up to 45 million Euros have been earmarked for the initiative in 2008.

The statement indicated that the initiative would be coordinated by the Federal Foreign Office and implemented in cooperation with the Central Agency for Schools Abroad, the Goethe-Institute, the Educational Exchange Service, and the German Academic Exchange Service. It explained that under the plan, the network of German schools abroad and schools offering the German Language Certificate would be strengthened and extended. In addition, cooperation between schools would be expanded to foster and possibly anchor German as a foreign language more firmly in national education systems. The statement said in Ghana as elsewhere, the aim was to develop fruitful and long-lasting ties with Germany and inspire schools, their teachers and students to enjoy an open exchange of views and engage in cooperation.

An Internet learning platform hosted by the Goethe-Institut allows the students to interact with one another across the world and to communicate in German in training forums and supervised chartrooms. It also gives teachers the option of providing web-based lessons. Dr Hass commended the initiative of Achimota School and thanked the Headmistress, Mrs Beatrice T. Adom for her continuing support for programme. He said other educational institution wishing to follow the example of the Achimota School should contact the Goethe Institute in Accra for further information. Mrs Adom reminded the guests of the school's previous long and successful record in teaching the German language until such time, when German language classes were no longer part of the Ghanaian School Curricula and lauded the German Government for assisting in founding the new initiative.