A Serbian supplementary school has been opened in Cannes. Classes in Serbian have been organized by the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Serbia, free of charge for all children who want to improve their knowledge of the Serbian language, and are currently attended by 43 children.

The classes in French territory have a great support from the Embassy of the Republic of Serbia in Paris and Balkan Azur association, and the latter provided premises for the classes. Students study three subjects: Serbian language, Serbia my fatherland, and basics of culture of the Serbian people.

The teacher at this school is Tanja Milosavljević from Vranje. She is a professor of Serbian language and literature with seventeen years of educational work experience. She received her PhD in France, in the field of the Serbian language. She works as a pedagogical engineer, and is also involved in studying Serbian identity in the diaspora and promoting Serbian culture and language in the south of France.

– I am very glad that from 17 December we ‘started school’. Serbs living in the Mediterranean initiated this, because it is very important to have education in our language available to the children who have the will and desire to learn their mother tongue, to cherish the Cyrillic alphabet, cultural heritage, history – says Tanja Milosavljević.

The Serbian supplementary school in Cannes operates in the premises of the Cultural Center Cannes. According to Brano Babić, president of the Balkan Azur association, there was a real need to establish classes in Serbian, because there are many children of Serbian expatriates in the region. This is also supported by the fact that two groups of students to take the classes in Serbian have been formed.

At the end of each school year, students will receive their student report cards with grades, and upon completion of the eighth grade, a Certificate of Completion of Education.

Forming two more groups, one in Toulon and one in Fréjus is planned from September next year.

Source: Serbian times – Novosti

Photo: Private archive