Education and science in 2010: the minister of education sums up the year

2010 was a year of dynamic changes in the sphere of education’’, said the minister of education and science at the meeting with the journalists.

The minister mentions that there have been three vital changes this year. First, within the whole year the sphere of education has had the full attention of both the authorities and public. Second, the ministry has constantly been cooperating with the society. Third, this year the evaluation of knowledge came first place in all spheres.

Speaking about the activities in the sphere of pre-school education, Ashotyan mentions that two thirds of Armenian communities lack pre-school educational institutions. This year 41 pre-school educational institutions have been reconstructed by means of World Bank grants in Ararat and Aragatsotn regions.

Five organizations have gained right to requalify school headmasters. The process of certification has been confirmed. Previously all teachers were paid equally irrespective of their work experience and achievements. Now things have changed. ‘’The new mechanism of certification will give the best teachers an opportunity to get a higher salary’’, says the minister.

In 2010 the number of elder schools has increased by 43. New textbooks have been published. 50 thousand books have been published for the Diaspora which have reached their destination in time. As the minister states ‘’the problem of books has been solved. We hope that the new books will please both  the parents and the society’’.

2010 has been a year of achievements in the sphere of international education. At 7 International Pupil Olympiads Armenian pupils got 7 medals. ‘’This testifies to the high quality of public education’’, says the minister.

300 schools have got access to the Internet. At present  the Internaet is available for 944 Armenian schools.

There have been some changes in special schools as well, among them staff changes, the formation of a children’s right protection monitoring group.

Higher education system also abounds in achievements. Within the framework of the Bolongna System the credit system has been applied in the third level education, in post graduate studies.

‘’Beginning with the next year, irrespective of the form of privacy, the entrance will be held through unified exam system’’, says Ashotyan, adding that this year there have been 20 000 bachelors, 6 700 masters, 300 post-graduate students.

The universities making reforms and having innovation programmes will get grants.

220 Armenian students got the opportunity to get education abroad, and 220 foreign students have entered Armenian educational institutions.

25 higher educational institutions have been deprived of their license fully or partially. As the minister mentions this process will be continuative, the ministry will take care that the educational institutions provide at least minimum quality standards.

As for the entrance exams of the current year, the minister steted that the number of the state order of will be preserved. ‘’There will be no external shifts this year, not a single pupil will get a certificate for nothing’’.

To promote young scientists there will be a contest of young scientists programs. The number of Defence Councils, which are 61, will be reduced by 25 percent.

Ashotyan mentions that they have not managed to do everything in 2010. ‘’It’ s a pity we can’t settle everything at once. We could have done more’’.