August Conference in Aragatsotn Province
2018-08-23
Lusine Arakelyan, RA Deputy Minister of Education and Science, and Ashot Arshakyan, Head of the Public Education Department of the Ministry of Education and Science, held the August conference of Aragatsotn province in Nerses Ashtaraketsi Public School #1 of Ashtarak city. Ashot Simonyan, the governor of Aragatsotn province, as well as representatives from primary, secondary and high schools of the province, were present at the conference.
The Deputy Minister of Education and Science presented the main issues related to the start of the new academic year, and emphasized that the Ministry pays attention to suggestions from people in charge of the area, and professional observations for educational reforms., L. Arakelyan mentioned the depoliticization of the educational system, which the Ministry has adopted as a principle approach.
Ashot Arshakyan, Head of the Public Education Department of the Ministry of Education and Science, informed that the exemplary curriculum of the academic year 2018-19 has been approved without any changes. According to the Head of the Department, the changes have been postponed until next year. Simultaneously, a number of new legal acts are being drafted, in particular, the establishment of classrooms, formation of diverse classrooms, job vacancies for principles, as well as the issue of changing teachers' attestation system are in the phase of being approved.
Ashot Arshakyan, referring to the issue of providing schools with the appropriate quantity of books, informed that, according to the applications of the Provincial Administration, all the textbooks of the elementary school had been published, there were only some delays in the publication of "Armenian People's History" and "Chess" textbooks and the problem will be resolved by September 5.
Deputy Minister L. Arakelyan emphasized that it is necessary to do everything possible so that children from socially vulnerable families do not have difficulties with textbook rental fees. The Deputy Minister noted, "Do your best to help people and give them the chance to pay partially. The same refers to uniforms. It is important that children attend school tidy and neatly dressed, the color of their shirt does not matter. Compulsory uniforms are unacceptable if they are a social burden for the family.”
She also informed that in the academic year 2019-2020 Aragatsotn province would make a transition to universal inclusion and preparatory work will be seriously carried out this year.
During the conference the Deputy Minister and the Head of the Department responded to the questions of the Principals concerning various issues, in particular, referring to the initiative of the Ministry of Education to have joint final exams. Principals are concerned that the schools are not ready for this requirement, and most of the graduates will not receive a graduation certificate if they sit for these finals. Lusine Arakelyan noted, "Our goal is to measure the quality and outcome of education. We believe that the joint examinations will show the full image of the acquisition and evaluation of knowledge. I understand all the concerns, but the finals will check for minimum acquired knowledge. We should have a measuring tool with which we can record the problems and take steps to address them."
Questions were also raised regarding the certification of Principals, school funding and budgeting, 12-year-long compulsory education, instruction and subject matters
