The Telangana government has introduced French language in schools run by Telangana Social Welfare Residential Educational Institutions Society (TSWREIS) and Telangana Tribal Welfare Residential Educational Institutions Society (TTWREIS). This initiative has been launched in collaboration with French Institute in India (IFI), the Education, Science, and Cultural service of the Embassy of France. The announcement was shared by the institute on X, formerly known as Twitter.
"Telangana state introduces French for all in government schools. We are thrilled to partner with the Telangana state to introduce French language learning in government schools run by TSWREI Society & TTWREI Society. Telangana shall soon witness a new generation of upskilled government school students. Learning from language teachers trained by The French Institute in India in innovative teaching techniques, they will be building brighter futures for themselves. Let their journey of becoming global Francophone citizens begin!" it said in the social media post.
"Secretary, TSWREIS signed an MoU with the IFI to introduce the French Language in the schools marking a significant step towards enhancing educational opportunities and new possibilities for students in the interconnected world," TSWREI Society said on X.
"This is a one-of-a-kind collaboration with government institutions and a testament to the power of promoting language learning and cultural understanding among the students," it added.
"Delighted to see the growing interest in learning French in India! After Delhi, French language classes are now coming to Telangana government schools," the French Embassy said in a post on X.
This comes months after the French government introduced a significant initiative that grants Indian students, holding a Master's degree or higher, an opportunity to obtain a five-year short-stay Schengen visa.
France has set a target to invite 30,000 students from India by 2030. President Emmanuel Macron made the announcement nearly a month after Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Paris as chief guest of France's National Day. After the announcement, French embassy in India rolled out a number of measures, including a five-year short-stay Schengen visa to attract more Indian students. The initiatives are part of people-to-people ties envisioned as one of the three pillars of strategic partnership between the two countries during PM Modi's visit.
Talking about the initiative, Emmanuel Lenain, ambassador of France to India, said, "Our teams are working double time to implement the decisions taken by President Macron and Prime minister Modi in Paris to benefit students. France has always been an inclusive and diverse country, eager to share our rich cultural heritage and world-class education opportunities with Indian students. My message for Indian students: France will always be your friend, and we will do everything possible to ensure you have an amazing academic and life experience in our country."