Three Moscow Schools to Teach African Languages From Next Week

The study of African languages will begin in three Moscow schools from the new academic year, on September 1, according to the press service of the Department of Education and Science of the Russian capital, which added that the teaching staff is ready for the bold move.

"School No. 1517 and the school of the Center for Pedagogical Excellence will teach Swahili as a second foreign language, while school No. 1522 will teach Amharic. It is planned to start with one group in each school."

The department specified that the purpose of the initiative is not so much to learn the African languages, but to motivate the children to further study Africa.

"Masters and graduate students of the Institute of Asian and African Studies of Moscow State University have been involved in the development of appropriate programs adapted for schoolchildren. Teachers have been prepared," the department added.

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The press service noted that Moscow schools offer children the opportunity to learn a second foreign language. It can be studied as part of extracurricular activities and in the framework of additional education.

"Schools make decisions on teaching a foreign language independently, taking into account the request of parents, legal representatives of pupils and their abilities. In addition to the traditional languages – English, German and French – other languages such as Spanish, Italian and Chinese are taught in Moscow schools," the department added.

The office noted that graduating students may choose one of these languages, including the newly-added African languages, as a subject of choice in the Unified State Exams needed to enter a university.