Two to train teachers of French

Published in the Daily Graphic on 2/02/10, pg 24, (spread) middle pg.

Story: Matilda Attram
TWO French-related organisations in the country have collaborated to organise a training programme for Francophone untrained teachers in private schools to enhance their teaching skills.
The organisations are the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie (OIF) and the Federation Internationale Des Professeurs de Francaise (FIPF).
Dubbed "Trainers of Trainees Project", the programme was to upgrade the teaching skills of French teachers in the country and to encourage the teaching and learning of the French language in Africa.
The programme, which started in January this year, would also enable beneficiaries to become accredited international resource persons to their mother associations and other OIF/FIPF-related associations in the world.
The President of the Ghana Association of French Teachers (GAFT), Mr Evans Kokroko, detailed the successes of the programme during a meeting between GAFT executive and the Minister of Education in Accra.
The meeting was to brief the minister on the support FIPF was providing towards the improvement of the teaching and learning of French in Ghana.
Mr Kokroko said a request had been made to the OIF to train 200 more untrained teachers this year in Kumasi, along the same line as one which was organised last year in Accra.
"It includes selected training programmes, a seminar on Common European Framework for Languages, Training in basic ICT skills and the organisation of annual national congresses for members," he stated.
Mr Kokroko further proposed an end to the categorisation of schools, arguing that it misled parents during the selection of schools for their children.
"Categorisation of schools into A and B causes problems when parents are selecting schools for their children. To the best of some parents’ understanding, Category B implies lower academic standard," he said.
He also appealed to the minister to help upgrade schools sited in the centre of the city for the benefit of workers during training sessions.
The Minister of Education, Mr Alex Tetteh-Enyo, commended the two organisations (OIF and GAFT) for their efforts in promoting the teaching and learning of French in Ghana, and assured them of his support in their activities to enhance education in Ghana.