The Telangana state government is launching a program to enrich secondary-level education in government schools, by introducing the French language. The program, named ‘French for All, French for a Better Future,’ is a collaborative effort involving the Telangana Social Welfare Residential Educational Institutions Society (TSWREIS), the Telangana Tribal Welfare Residential Educational Institutions Society (TTWREIS), and the French Institute in India (IFI). The collaborative agreement was officially signed on August 30th, 2023, through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). The signing of the MoU was witnessed by representatives including Dr. E Naveen Nicolas, Secretary of TSWREIS, Emmanuel Lebruns-Damiens, Director of the French Institute in India, and Thierry Berthelot, the Consul General of France in Bangalore. The pilot phase of the initiative will involve the implementation of the program in around 20 TSWREIS/TTWREIS-affiliated schools, with the French Institute (IFI) providing teacher training in communicative French, granting students access to its cultural and academic resources, and conducting workshops and seminars to educate them about study opportunities in France.
According to Dr. E Naveen Nicolas, Secretary of TSWREIS, IFI’s commitment to this unique partnership in Telangana was admirable. According to him, this collaboration aligns with the Telangana government’s goal of achieving social justice by strengthening education for historically marginalized communities. According to Emmanuel Lebrun-Damiens, Telangana’s dedication to global language learning in government schools and prioritizing education solidifies the importance of the France-India relationship. According to Consul General Thierry Berthelot, this initiative holds immense value for students and will undoubtedly contribute to their success in a globalized world.
The incorporation of French into Telangana’s educational system promises to expand students’ opportunities and contribute significantly to their holistic development, offering advantages such as improved job prospects, cultural understanding, enriched travel experiences, access to French higher education institutions, enhanced cognitive abilities, and overall personal growth.