01 Aug 2019

 Deputy Permanent in the Ministry of Basic Education, Mr Wonder Masebola has commended the Alliance Française’s invaluable support in promoting the French language.

Speaking at French Day workshop recently, Mr Masebola  said the collaboration had come handy as 74 teachers from 38 schools would be trained by experts from France on how to teach the language effectively.

‘’French was re-introduced to the education system in 2000 and only 15 Junior Secondary school at the time piloted the teaching and learning of French. 

Currently it’s taught in 39 Junior Secondary School and nine Senior Secondary School across the country, with 97 teachers in total,’’ he said.

He said over the years, the French government had extended assistance in teaching of French as a foreign language and training of teachers.

Mr Masebola, thanked, Ms Aurelie Gbeffa, Alliance Française’s de Gaborone director, for facilitating ‘Les Assises du française’, the French Day workshop which he said would yield positive results, as it would help to outline a roadmap to improve the language at schools.

He said French performance at junior secondary schools was below par in comparison to seniour secondary schools whose performance had been excellent

For her part, Ms Gbeffa applauded the ministry for their commitment to developing, by their side, the teaching of French in Botswana.

“Our cooperation is bearing fruits with currently 3216 students in French and 97 French teachers in public schools. 

Learning language is essential, not only for grammar rules, conjugation or vocabulary. It is about discovering the world in a new perspective. 

These Assises du français offers discussions and reflections towards the renewal of French teaching practices’’, she said.

Deputy Dean, Faculty of Humanities, University of Botswana, Dr Peter Sebina said it was high time the French language was introduced at Primary level to catch and encourage them while still young. Ends