Namibia: Agreement On Portuguese Language Signed
by Catherine Sasman
16 November 2011
DEPUTY Minister of Foreign Affairs Peya Mushelenga and Portuguese Secretary of State and Foreign Affairs and Cooperation Luís Brites Pereira yesterday signed an agreement on the introduction of Portuguese in Namibian schools.
Portuguese will be offered as a foreign language at secondary schools as early as January.
The Ministry of Education earlier indicated that the subject offering would depend on the availability of teachers.
Pereira said Portugal would assist Namibia with the implementation of the agreement by training teachers at Unam and the provision of scholarships for Namibian citizens to be trained as teachers of Portuguese as a foreign language.
The Portuguese government will also assist with continuous teacher training in the regions, and help the National Institute for Educational Development with the development of teaching and learning materials.
It will provide textbooks and related resources like dictionaries for the phasing-in of Portuguese as a foreign language.
"Both countries recognise the growing importance of Portuguese as an official and working language of regional and international organisations," said Pereira.
Mushelenga said more than 4 000 Namibians are currently studying Portuguese, and a number of foreign ministry officials have started studying the language.
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