ARKA News Agency, Armenia
April 7 2006

ARMENIA’S HIGHER SCHOOLS TO INTRODUCE CREDIT SYSTEM OF EDUCATION

YEREVAN, April 7. /ARKA/. Most of Armenia’s higher schools will
introduce a credit system of education in 2006-2007 academic year, RA
Minister of Education and Science Sergo Yeritsyan told reporters at a
workshop on the introduction of the system. According to him, this
transition will only concern the first-year students that will be
admitted to higher schools in 2006.
“The transition will start with pilot programs in higher schools that
have necessary conditions,” the Minister said.
Yeritsyan pointed out that the greatest expectation from the credit
system is the improvement in the quality of education.
He added that each higher school will be independent in introducing
the new system, and the terms will be set by the Academic Council.
Yeritsyan explained that the credit system is a mechanism of
appraising students’ work, particularly the attendance of lectures,
laboratory and practical training, examinations.
The Minister reported that pilot programs are currently under
implementation in four higher schools – Yerevan State University,
Yerevan State University of Linguistics, Yerevan Teachers Training
Institute, State Engineering University of Armenia and Agrarian
University of Armenia.
Yeritsyan added that the results of the programs will be summed up at
the end of the year.
On September 18, 2002, Armenia acceded to the Bologne declaration
thereby assuming a number of commitments, including the introduction
of the credit system in higher and post-graduate education. P.T. -0–