Armen Ashotyan: “It would better to become a doctor instead of being engaged in such an ungrateful business”

On the emergency meeting of the NA, taken place on June 23, the questions on the modification of the laws “About the language” and “About the general education” were discussed. During the session Ashotyan presented the edited changes in the law, that instead of 15 schools 11will be opened, from which 9 – on the basis of the intergovernmental agreements where subjects in a foreign language will be taught from the 9th class, and the other two schools will be opened in the cities Dilijhan and Ijevan where teaching in a foreign language will begin from the 7th class. The voting will take place on June 24.

Before the question of foreign language schools has begun to be discussed in the Government boardroom, the protest action at an input in a hall was more and more heated. Gathered people expressed their protest against the bill with shouts and posters with inscriptions “The language has been conceded – the Native land has been conceded”, “To refuse the bill forever”, “No – to foreign language schools” and so forth, and also with patriotic national songs and poems.

The Minister Ashotyan who recently avoided to enter into the hall of the Government from that input, where the participants of protest action gathered, it is not known why, has suddenly grown bolder: more than ten policemen, supervising the participants of the actions, hardly could constrain gathered people (Ashotyan’s condition would really be not enviable if policemen did not manage to keep the protesting).

Leaving the government building, Ashotyan, nevertheless, could not avoid some participants of the action and journalists. On the question of the newspaper “Ankakh” – “Is it possible to open some schools not changing the law?” Ashotyan answered:

“Unfortunately, there are no other variants of the legal decision. If someone can offer us other decisions, let him offer”, – he said, one more time having underlined the words “if can”.

We must mention, that the suggestions on the decision of the issue “not touching” the law, have been made by the ARF and “Heritage” faction. However, it is visible there are no other criteria for Ashotyan except his lawyer’s opinion. If he said it is impossible, it means it is impossible.

The minister tried to explain to the furious interlocutors, that at these schools the teaching of subjects in Armenian will be the same as well as at the Armenian schools.

“33-37 % of the curriculum will make subjects in the Armenian language”, – he said, assuring, that these subjects by the quantity of hours will be taught the in the same way as at the other Armenian schools.

However, Ashotyan’s efforts were ineffectual, as a young man had a logical question – what sense in that case to open foreign language schools? Ashotyan objected: “And who speaks about the foreign language schools? They will be bilingual schools. People name them foreign language schools because it is easier to speak about a problem in that way.”

Ashotyan is not against the deepening of the training in foreign languages at the Armenian schools, however he admits that it is not easy to do it.

“If it was so easily, the sixteen ministers working before me would do it.”

Ashotyan has learnt about 30 foreign language schools, illegally operating in Armenia, just now, and he is going to spend inspection checks at these schools.

“We knew only about the French schools, – he said, – the term of the validity of their contracts was over and they addressed to us to prolong it, on what we did not reacted.”
Ashotyan, admitting the inability to solve the problems of the educational sphere, simultaneously considers 90 % of criticism of all people not competent. In return to all the arguments he advises to read the bill which does not bear any dangers and as he says – all is written clearly with black on white there, it is necessary to read and understand.

Actually, Ashotyan calls into question the ability not only of usual citizens, but also of the representatives of parties ARF, “Heritage”, Public Council, Diaspora and numerous political and public structures, and also the ability of the intelligency and scientists to understand and apprehend the essence of the bill, as they, having familiarized with it, were against it, considering the project anticonstitutional and antinational.
At the end Ashotyan received a personal offer – to leave the post of the Minister and to be engaged in his speciality. Most likely, the minister was not against:
“It would better to become a doctor instead of being engaged in such an ungrateful business”, – he said.