PRESIDENT KOCHARIAN HAS WORKING MEETINGS

ArmenPress
June 7 2004

YEREVAN, JUNE 7, ARMENPRESS: Armenian president Robert Kocharian had a
working meeting today with the chairman of the State Water Committee
Andranik Andreasian. Kocharian’s press office said the committee
chairman introduced the president to the ongoing reforms of the
sector and the process of implementation of projects in cooperation
with international organizations.

During another working meeting the president discussed today the
shortcomings and problems reported during special examinations,
set for secondary school graduates, claiming for gold medals, equal
to finishing school with honors. A presidential oversight service
was watching the examinations as observers. Kocharian was quoted by
the press office as saying that there is a range of related issues
that cannot be ignored, especially that in a month time entrance
examinations to state-run universities are set to start.

“All reported shortcomings should be completely eliminated during the
university entrance examinations,” Kocharian was quoted as saying. He
said schools lack proper supervision, and a practice is formed that
disgraces the idea of gold medals. The president said graduation from
secondary school with honors has become a kind of an end in itself
with a prospect of easing the entrance examination to university and
‘this motive” has deformed a lot of things at schools. The president
said his conclusion was based on observations, reported to him by
oversight service.

Vahram Barseghian, the head of the oversight chamber, presented the
facts, shortcomings and other problems of concern, which the service
has identified. He said many of graduates, claiming for gold medals,
failed to confirm their high knowledge of separate school subjects
and also a great number failed to participate in the examinations,
which he said was “an evidence that school principals violate the
principles of choosing graduates, claiming of gold medals.”

Kocharian has instructed the government to consider the issue of
granting graduates with honors privileges during university entrance
examinations.