French for All, French for a Better Future
Dual inauguration of Language Lab and Wall Art
New Delhi, 19 December 2023
Well into its second year, "French for All, French for a Better Future", the unique collaborative initiative of the French Institute in India (IFI), the Delhi Board of School Education (DBSE), Hero MotoCorp Ltd. (HMCL), and the Franco-Indian Education Trust (FIET) today celebrated the dual inauguration of a French Language Lab and a Wall Art installation. The initiative has been fulfilling its objectives of providing access to quality education and promoting skill development among students from different sections of the society through French language and culture education. Today, it is proudly poised to positively impact the lives of over 3400 students of 33 DBSE schools across Delhi.
French is now being offered to students from classes VI to XII in various DBSE schools across Delhi. These students are being taught by teachers who have been undergoing rigorous linguistic and teachers’ training programmes organised by IFI since April 2022.
In addition to their coursework, the students have been participating in various tailor-made cultural activities combining French language with works of Francophone literature, music, and street art. one such example being the Wall Art installation in the Dr B.R Ambedkar School of Specialized Excellence (SOSE) in Surajmal Vihar. This school is also home to one of the three French Language Labs installed under this initiative. Promoting the use of technology for enhanced language learning, the labs are a state-of-the-art tech facility equipped with varied audiovisual resources to individually improve each student’s skills in the French language, particularly with regard to speaking and listening.
The Ambassador of France to India, H.E Mr. Thierry Mathou, inaugurated the second French Language Lab and "French for All" Wall Art installation at the SOSE in Surajmal Vihar. On this ceremonial occasion, Ambassador Mathou was joined by the esteemed project partners: Mr K.S Upadhayay - CEO, DBSE & Regional Director, Directorate of Education, Govt. of NCT Delhi; senior CSR representatives from Hero MotoCorp Ltd.; and Mr Prshant Lahoti - Managing Trustee, Franco-Indian Education Trust.
Visiting the school, Ambassador Thierry Mathou said: “The initiative "French for All, French for a Better Future", launched with the generous support of our partners, has made it possible to successfully introduce French language and culture to the brilliant pupils of Delhi Government schools. I was able to witness first-hand how enthusiastic the students are to learn French. We congratulate the students and the French language teachers for their dedication, which is fostering better understanding of each other’s rich cultures, and thus helping advance Indo-French relations.”
Prshant Lahoti
“Following the successful integration of the first French Language Lab in DBSE infrastructure and curriculum in North Delhi, I am pleased to be present today to extend this opportunity to students of many more Delhi Government schools based in East Delhi. The "French for All, French for a Better Future" initiative’s success echoes far beyond North India and will soon be implemented in other states as well”
Representative of the Directorate of Education
“From the implementation of our partnership with the French Institute in India in April 2022 introducing our students to the French-speaking world, to all 34 selected DBSE students triumphing the world-renowned Level 1 DELF Scolaire French examination, the collaboration has come a long way. There is an increasing interest in students opting for French as their choice of foreign language in school and we sincerely thank the efforts French Institute in India and their partners have put in for the students and their teachers. Phase 2 of this collaboration will see many more French Language Labs and other interesting initiatives put into action.”
The event commenced with a special welcome by school students, followed by the unveiling of the newly set up French Language Lab. A live demonstration of the Language Lab’s usage and its benefits in acquiring linguistic skills in a foreign language was conducted by Ms. Deeksha, French language teacher at the school. The dignitaries enjoyed a first-hand experience of using this technology to learn a language.
Alongside technological advancements, the event also saw an eclectic cultural presentation by students showcasing their talent and learnings through French song recitals and classical Indian dance performances. This cultural immersion concluded with interactions between the dignitaries and students keen to share their progress in learning a foreign language.
The second Wall Art installation “French for All’’, created as part of a three-day public art workshop organised for DBSE schools, was also unveiled during this event. Painted by school students under expert guidance, the artwork stands as a testament to the principal aim of the project: offering equal opportunities and best learning facilities to all using the interdisciplinary connection of language and arts, which has roused students’ interest in engaging with the French language, and Francophone culture.
About the French Institute in India
The French Institute in India (Institut Français en Inde) is the educational, scientific, and cultural department of the Embassy of France in India. It facilitates academic and scientific exchanges between higher institutes of learning and research, enables student mobility, and promotes the French language as well as artistic and cultural dialogue. Cooperation between India and France takes place through several sectors: Arts and Culture, Books and Ideas, French Language and Education, Study in France programme, Academic Partnerships, Science and Technology, as well as Innovation and Multimedia. www.ifindia.in
About the Franco-Indian Education Trust
The Franco-Indian Education Trust, a non-profit charitable and educational trust, is a joint initiative of the Embassy of France in India and Mr Prshant K Lahoti, Managing Trustee of the Krishnakriti Foundation. It was established in August 2017, and officially unveiled in March 2018 during the State visit of President Emmanuel Macron to India.
About Hero We Care
For Hero MotoCorp, corporate social responsibility (CSR) is a commitment towards this precious planet and its people, and the core values of this commitment are integrated into its way of doing business. The company abides by the core principles of environment conservation, shared social value, and doing business ethically.
Under the We Care platform, the company has initiated and scaled up focused social and environmental programmes that align with the company’s CSR vision of contributing towards building a Greener, Safer and Equitable World.
Project Shiksha is driven by the larger goal of helping create an enabling, encouraging and motivating environment for dissemination of quality education at government schools in rural India. Conceptualised to complement the Right to Education Act, the programme focuses on creating permanent infrastructure as well as putting together the elements needed for an ecosystem that will pave the way for government schools in the rural to eventually match the performance and outcomes of their privately-run counterparts.