EURENT

The French senate has provided 25 000 euro to equip the future French school in Varna, which will open on September 2 2009, French ambassador to Bulgaria Etienne de Poncins said during a visit to the Black Sea city.

 De Poncins made his announcement during a visit to the Varnenski Buditeli (Варненски будители, Varna Educators) community centre, where the French school will occupy a storey.

 Students of the school would have to sit a French matriculation exam and the school would issue French diplomas, de Poncins was quoted as saying by Bulgarian broadcaster Dnes Plus.

The school would comply with the French educational programme and was recognised by the French education and foreign affairs ministries. Initially, the school would teach about 30 children, divided into several groups. The annual fee for children to attend the school was 6000 leva.

Almost all the places for the 2009/2010 school-year had been filled, Dessislava Ganeva, chairperson of the Association of Francophone parents, was quoted by Bulgarian daily Dnevnik as saying.