Delhi Board of School Education Promotes French Language Among Students

The French Institute in India (IFI), the Delhi Board of School Education (DBSE), Hero MotoCorp Ltd (HMCL), and the Franco-Indian Education Trust (FIET) have joined hands in a unique collaboration to promote French language education in India. The project, titled "French for All, French for a Better Future," aims to provide students from all sections of society with access to French language education, thereby promoting skill development and employment opportunities through proficiency in French.

The initiative is being implemented across 33 DBSE schools with 12 teachers covering approximately 3000 students. French language classes are being offered to students from classes VI to X, with teachers receiving linguistic and pedagogical training to improve the quality of education. In addition, Language Labs equipped with high-tech audio-visual materials have been installed in DBSE schools to enhance the linguistic capabilities of students, particularly speaking and listening.

The first French language lab was inaugurated at the Dr B. R. Ambedkar School of Specialised Excellence (SOSE sector 17 - Rohini) by prominent personalities, including Mr. Rajesh Mukhija (Advisor-CSR, Hero MotoCorp Ltd.), Mr. Emmanuel Lebrun-Damiens (Country Director, French Institute in India), Mr. Himanshu Gupta (Director - Education, Govt. of NCT Delhi), and Mr. Prashant Lahoti (Managing Trustee, Franco Indian Education Trust).

The "French for All, French for a Better Future" initiative aims to bridge the gap between students from privileged and underprivileged backgrounds by offering equal opportunities to all and promoting the use of technology/artificial intelligence. The project also seeks to introduce French and Francophone cultures and highlight the interdisciplinary connection of language and arts, furthering interest in engaging with French language and culture.

Prashant Lahoti, Managing Trustee of Franco Indian Education Trust, expressed gratitude to Hero MotoCorp for supporting this endeavor and stated that they will be setting up more French language labs in the near future, opening doors for more students to explore French language and culture and access the best educational institutions in France. Himanshu Gupta, Director - Education, Govt. of NCT Delhi, praised the French Institute in India for promoting French language education in government schools and expressed hope that the French language lab established by the French Institute and their CSR Partners Hero MotoCorp at SOSE Rohini sector 17 will promote not only French language but also culture and other domains. Emmanuel Lebrun-Damiens, Country Director of French Institute in India, expressed his delight at the project's implementation and stated that the "French for All" initiative aims to provide access to French language education to students from diverse backgrounds and promote a better future through linguistic and cultural exchange.