TWENTY-SEVEN Tanzanian academicians have benefited from French Support Project through scholarships, a senior official has said.

A Tanzania Institute of Education (TIE) senior official, Mr Kizito Lawa, said in Dar es Salaam that 10 of the beneficiaries were still undertaking Master's degree programmes while two others were doing doctorate programmes in French institutions of higher learning.

"The other 15 have already finished their studies in French," he said. He was speaking during the launch of a French Resource Centre at Zanaki Secondary School in the city where the French government donated five computers and one printer worth 7000 US dollars.

Mr Lawa named other education institutions that benefited from the project as Tabora and Korogwe Teaching colleges and secondary schools such as Milambo, Isevya, Kazima, Arusha and Lindi.

He pointed out that the fifteen fresh graduates will be deployed as French subject inspectors to different education zones. Mr Godwin Kilave, who is the French Subject Teachers Association President, urged the public to learn French because the language offers different opportunities, saying a French interpreter earns 320 US dollars per assignment.

"There is huge demand for people who understand French by learning institutions and companies," he said. Zanaki Secondary School Headmistress, Ms Rehema Tunzo, said about 60 students were studying French in her school, saying the donation and the resource centre will help in the studies.

She said the remaining challenge was of students studying French ignoring other subjects. The French Support Project was established after a request by President Jakaya Kikwete during a state visit to France in 2008 where he requested for the support to strengthen the French subject in the country.