About Us

FranceTamils Educations Centre

Our association, France Tamils Educations Centre,is a non-profit organization duly registered under the French Law of 1901and has existed since August 31, 1986. All our activities take placeduring weekends.

Tamils originating from Sri Lanka have beenexiled to France and often find themselves in a delicate situation. Many of ourcompatriots were forced to leave their country because of the civil war thatwas taking place there. Since Sri Lanka is an English-colonised country, manyof them are not familiar with the French language. Our main objective wastherefore to offer beginner French language courses, with explanationsin Tamil for those facing difficulties, in order to help them integrate betterinto professional and social life while improving their living conditions. Wewere the first Tamil non-profit association established for educational purposes.

Later, in 1989, we noticed difficultieswithin Tamil families between parents and children born in France. These issueswere caused by cultural differences and communication barriers. As a result, westarted educational and cultural activities such as Tamil languageclasses, dance, singing, and more. The aim was to teach our children theirmother tongue and promote better integration into society. At the same time,these activities help transmit cultural, humanistic, and social values.

Today, our children often live between twoidentities and ask themselves: “Are we French or Tamil?”. We thereforeprovide them with the means to reconnect with their roots, while giving themthe references and foundations needed to become French citizens in heart andspirit, without losing their deep cultural heritage. By achieving this dualobjective, we can contribute to the successful integration of our community.

Gradually, we also introduced academic supportclasses, english courses, computer courses, sewing classes, and more. Inaddition, we organize different competitions among our students every year,including athletics, badminton, basketball, chess, and general knowledge.We also organize events led by the students during the association’sanniversary celebration, Christmas celebrations, and Tamil cultural festivals.

The education system in France is unique: eachclass has its own expectations and level to achieve. The level can vary betweenclasses within the same school and also between different schools. However, thenational curriculum remains the same for all our children. Are our childrenmeeting the expectations of the French national education system? Arethey ready to move on to the next class or take their end-of-year exams?

Since 2012, every year we have offeredassessment exams to evaluate all of your children's preparation, identify theirstrengths, and highlight areas for improvement.

Once the exam is completed, your child will receivea personalized correction. Parents will also have the opportunity tomeet the teachers who participated in preparing the exam topics and correctingthe papers. The exams conclude with a certificate award ceremony in June.

We therefore hope to continue moving forward onthis path with the support and commitment of everyone.

Thank you