NNA - Caretaker Minister of Education and Higher Learning, Hassan Diab, signed Friday a partnership agreement for the development of the Francophone initiative for continuous long distance training for teachers of official schools (IFADEM) with Director of the International Organisation of La Francophonie (OIF), Clement Duhaime, and Head of the regional office of l'Agence universitaire de la Francophonie (AUF), Salwa Nakouzi.


The International Organisation of La Francophonie was created in 1970. Its mission is to embody the active solidarity between its 77 member states and governments, which together represent over one-third of the United Nations' member states and account for a population of over 890 million people, 220 million of which are French speakers.


The project is part of a linguistic treaty aimed at elevating the quality of teaching of the French language as well as sciences and math in French for the elementary phase of school by strengthening the skills of teachers, done in part long distance. The examination phase will begin in North Lebanon and then spread all over the country.


"The Ministry of Education vows to do its utmost best and utilize its experts to assure the success of this initiative," said Diab to an audience of political figures and academics including French Ambassador to Lebanon Patrice Paoli.


Diab explained that the goal of said initiative is to present quality education for Lebanese youth.


===============R.Z.