THE FRENCH Government is now hunting Jamaican English language assistants for next academic year, the French Embassy has announced. The positions will be available in mainland France, and the French overseas departments of Guadeloupe and Martinique.
"The aim of this programme is to allow Jamaican foreign assistants to master the French language and customs while providing French students with the authenticity of their language and the richness of their culture," said a release from the Kingston embassy.
The programme is open to Jamaican professionals and students aged 20 to 30. All candidates should have the equivalent of an associate degree and a fair knowledge of spoken French. For the 2004/05 academic year, assistants will be posted for six to nine months according to the level they will be teaching:
Nine months in a primary school
Seven months in a primary or secondary school
Six months in a teachers' college.
All postings begin 2004 October 1.
According to the decision of the French Ministry of Education, assistants will be working 12 hours weekly and receive a monthly gross salary of approximately 900 euros, while the round trip to France will be at the candidate's expense. The ticket must be valid during the whole duration of the work contract, the Embassy said.
Application forms for the programme will be available at the Embassy of France; University of the West Indies, Department of Modern Languages; University of Technology, Faculty of Education and Liberal Studies; Shortwood Teachers' College, Department of Modern Languages; the Northern Caribbean University; and online at www.ciep.fr.
These applications should be submitted by January 29, and pending approval candidates will be selected in mid-February.
The selection panel will include representatives of the Embassy, the Ministry of Education, UWI, and the Jamaican Association of French Teachers.
