A French school with over 40 nationalities in its student body in Dar es Salaam, taught according to the French curriculum, is gaining popularity in the city and receiving praise from parents.
According to the administration of the institution-French School Arthur Rimbaud, Jean-Baptiste Ruzindana coordinator for primary education, the school provides students with the ability to speak and write in more than three widely spoken languages of the world.
He further said the school follows the French curriculum devised by the French Ministry of Education and taught in both public and public schools and that its presence in Tanzania further consolidates the good relations between the country and France.
“French schools have good diplomatic relations with France in almost all the countries where they are established. The school has a wide range of teaching facilities and amenities such as French and English textbooks, a library, playgrounds, a canteen and an auditorium where debates and other academic events can be held,” he pointed out.
While addressing journalists to know how the school is equipping children especially from nursery to secondary level with the French language, Mr. Ruzindana said, “If a student knows French, English and Spanish well and also Kiswahili in this region, he will have better opportunities in the job market.”
“Language is becoming a crucial tool in today’s world to take advantage of opportunities in other parts of the world…. at the French School; we prepare children aged three to twelve to be proficient in the world’s leading languages. “Our learning system is friendly in the population of 350 students we have in the nursery, primary and secondary levels,” said Ruzindana.
The comment from a Tanzanian teacher, Nancy Kweka, who teaches English: “Teaching is not only through words to impart knowledge, I also use body language to communicate with my students in the semesters which are eventually further divided into five academic trimesters for the entire school calendar.
“The first term starts in September to December and is divided into two periods with a break of 10 to 15 days in between. The second term is between January and March and the third term ends between April and June, while the remaining two months (July and August) are reserved for a long annual holiday.
“It has been a pleasure for me to teach English at the French School. I joined the school almost three years ago and have enjoyed the opportunity to learn French under the auspices of the school in collaboration with the French Embassy in Tanzania. “Because I speak French now, I can work with people in different professions and put myself forward for a good future.”