Parlons Français

Introduction

In March of 2008, we acquired 684 Teachers’ copies of “Parlons Français” for 114 primary schools in the Diocese of Kumbo – Cameroon because the teachers do not have the appropriate textbooks that respond to the needs of the class language schemes.

Project Cost

For 684 French Textbooks the Project Cost of @ 3,500 Frs each = 2,394,000 Frs. CFA (USD 5.320.00)

The Problem

• 15,362 primary school children barely manage to say a word in the French Language, understand or express self in the language as citizens of Cameroon. Cameroon is a bilingual country with French and English as the two official languages. Essentially, each and every citizen is supposed to understand and be able to express self in both languages. The call for national bilingualism is intensified year after year as it will go a long way to foster national integration and unity.
• The colonialists left the country in two divisions – the French speaking region and the English speaking region. While the citizens of the English speaking region are making greater effort to learn French, the French are learning English. Both languages have a pride of place in the school syllabus. Pedagogic material for the teaching and learning of French is an essential imperative in the English speaking region. Unfortunately, because of the financial and economic background of most of our parents they are not able to supply textbooks to their children.
• In most cases children depend on the teacher’s copy of a textbook for their lessons. Where that is possible you would have one textbook for a class of about 50 pupils. Little or no teaching could take place without a textbook as a source of information. We therefore supplied the teachers’ copies of the French textbook in order to effectively teach French language to our pupils.

Project Impact

• Each year, about 18,405 children will benefit from the books.
• Every year about 18,405 children will acquire basic skills in French language which will help them to communicate well, be able to learn their lessons well and to integrate themselves meaningfully as citizens of Cameroon.