Due importance given to learning French language: Pondy CM

Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy Friday said the territorial government was giving due importance to learning of the French language.

Inaugurating a one-day Indo-French consultative educational meet organised here by the directorate of education and the French government, he said the holding of the meet followed the signing of agreement last year between France and India in March last year in Delhi for mutual recognition of academic degrees by the two countries.

He said the Puducherry government was encouraging exchange of educational experts between France and India as the territorial administration gives due importance to learning of French.

He said the quality of education in the union territory was showing great improvement and pass percentage in government-run higher secondary schools has been making a big jump.

Education Minister R Kamalakannan, speaking on the occasion, welcomed the holding of the meet in the former French colony as part of the enforcement of the agreement France and India had inked last year for student mobility.

He said the number of students proceeding to France for higher education should increase as there appeared to be a gap between the number of students coming to India and those proceeding from here to France.

French Consul General in Puducherry Catherine Suard said, "France is a smart choice for higher education" and referred to the sustained collaboration between France and India in the field of education.

She said the main reason as to why the youth should pursue higher education in France was that the quality of higher education assured the youth of jobs worldwide as "our degrees and diplomas are recognised all over the world."