August Consultation in Tavush: School Funding Formula is being Revised, Says A. Harutyunyan
2018-08-28
Arayik Harutyunyan, the RA Minister of Education and Science, led the August consultation held in the Regional Administration of Tavush. The Regional Governor Vahe Ghalumyan and responsible officials of the Ministry of Education and Science also participated in the consultation.
Minister Arayik Harutyunyan urged the participants to raise issues on the region's educational field and jointly discuss the short-term and long-term programs for resolving them. In the context of the reforms, the Minister touched upon new subject criteria, textbooks, the organization of lessons, children's homework and other issues.
Arayik Harutyunyan informed that the procedure of certifying prospective principals has already been modified, and soon changes would be made in the electing advisory boards and the appointing of school principals. Arayik Harutyunyan observed, “Until now, the boards have not exercised their duties but acted upon the whim of the local so-called ‘landlords’.”
The Minister once again reminded the principals that schools should be fully apoliticized and they should eliminate money collections from students, but rather they need to work towards creating such an atmosphere where the whole community, including parents, the school alumni, the local government bodies and others partake in school life.
As to inclusive education, the Minister underlined the importance of active participation of the community members in this matter because the community's function is to ensure that citizens have the right to education.
They also touched upon next year's plan of registering first graders into the school system electronically and, for the coming academic year, discussed the standardized model of exams that would raise the overall quality of schools.
The principals of the public schools in the region asked the Minister many questions. Some of them having to do with general problems, while others being more specific to the Region of Tavush.
In response to one of the questions, the Minister informed that the question of how the schools would be funded was being revised, according to which, besides the number of students, the rate by the number of classes would also be taken into consideration.
Minister Arayik Harutyunyan urged the principals to be initiators, at the same time stressing that the Ministry and the Regional Administration are only supporters; the decision maker should be the school, so they have to be aware of the rules and be decisive.
