Minister of Education, the Honourable Anthony Garcia and other education officials met with His Excellency Serge Lavroff, Ambassador of the French Republic and the new French Regional Counsellor for Cooperation, Ms. Christel Outreman on January 9, 2020 at the Ministry’s Head Office on St. Vincent Street. This visit marks Ms. Outreman’s first to Trinidad and Tobago since her appointment in September and the first such diplomatic meeting for the Ministry in 2020.
As French Regional Counsellor for Cooperation, Ms Outreman has jurisdiction of 11 Caribbean countries, which include Trinidad and Tobago, Antigua, St. Lucia, Jamaica and Grenada. Her goal is to support higher learning and vocational training for students and professionals through the promotion of French language learning in the Caribbean. This will give learners access to universities and technical vocational institutions outside of English-speaking territories, thereby increasing the likelihood of accessing scholarships and other financial support programmes.
Ms. Outreman has pledged the commitment of her government and her office in supporting higher learning in the region. French language learning and multilingualism being key to facilitating additional opportunities for learners. Discussions will follow to explore specialized training programmes aligned to this country’s needs. Trinidad and Tobago has also been identified as the regional site for the annual French Teachers’ Day programme, to be held on November 28 each year—an initiative conceived by French President, Emmanuel Macron, which takes place all around the world.
The Ministry continues to welcome collaborative opportunities to advance education in this country and the region for both students and educators alike. These discussions follow the Ministry’s last meeting with the Embassy in 2018 which highlighted such programmes as Passport to French Higher Education, Diploma in French Language Studies as well as Internships and traineeships for both English-speaking and French-speaking student.