Public school students are set to gain greater access to the French language following an agreement that has been signed which facilitates exams to acquire a diploma set by France’s education ministry.
Education Minister Prodromos Prodromou met with French ambassador Salina Grenet- Catalano at the Pancyprian gymnasium on Wednesday to sign the agreement for a pilot programme leading to the Delf Scolaire diploma in public schools.
The diploma in French Language Studies (Delf) is proof of French-language capabilities for non-native French speakers and is administered by the International Centre for French Studies for France’s education ministry. The certificates are valid for life and do not expire.
The education minister said that this is the beginning of the policy to provide access to two foreign languages in schools, as are the recommendations of the EU. Notably, the EU commission uses English, French and German as its working languages.
He detailed that French will be taught in the three lyceum school years and at technical schools but it is being implemented gradually across the island.
Prodromou welcomed the move, saying that it is an important tool for expanding the options available to students while also deepening the links between Cyprus and France.
“[The] French language certification expands the horizon for students in public education, meeting modern needs, consolidating school as the bridge that connects education with the real world needs of graduates for further studies and careers,” the minister said.
Source: Cyprus Mail
