PASSING TO EUROPEAN EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM PRESERVING ATTRIBUTES OF THE SOVIET ONE

AZG Armenian Daily
15/06/2006

In the course of the last few years, the quality of education in
Armenia worsened so much that it can be compared to the education
systems of underdeveloped Asian countries, including Turkey, Levon
Mkrtchian, RA education and science minister, said at a press
conference on June 13.

At the same time he didn’t try to find anyone guilty for the crash
of the system, when touching upon Sergo Yeritsian, former education
minister, Mr. Mkrtchian stated that the education system of the country
should put stress on the increase of the education quality for the
pupils and students. In the meantime, he didn’t deny that the human
qualities of teachers had such negative impact on the schoolchildren
that in the course of the latest five years as a result of clashes
between the teachers and the schoolchildren, 60 suicide cases among
the schoolchildren were registered in some of the schools of Armenia.

"The material problems of the teachers should not influence their
work, moreover it doesn’t allow them take revenge from the children
that only learn to live," Mkrtchian expressed a brilliant idea. In
order the schoolchildren and the students have the opportunity to
get high-quality education, the ministry is to elaborate concrete
mechanisms for teaching. "All the further steps of the ministry are
directed to making cardinal changes in the system," he said.

It seems that the 12 years school education is a mere stretched
version of the 10 years Soviet school education system, Levon Mkrtchian
said. He said that the reforms for passing to the new school education
system do not keep in line with a number of organizational issues. In
particular, it isn’t clear how the teaching process will be organized
in the senior higher classes, as the students are to chose the subjects
for their future specialization.

Moreover, as a result of stretched education at schools, the education
terms at the universities will also be eliminated. In fact, there
are no problems in the junior classes. In order to study at school
according to the new system, a child should be prepared to make
independent choice of the subjects.

Besides, probation system of evaluation will be applied at schools. All
the issues for the elaboration of manuals for the new school system
will be settled by the beginning of the new academic year.

The Ministry of Education and Science of Armenia will be open for
public and the sphere management will be reformed fundamentally. Such
are the key principles of the new minister, Levon Mkrtchian, presented
at his first press conference. Besides the topical press conferences,
the heads of departments and sub-departments of the ministry will held
press conference once in 10 days, the minister promised. He called
the word "reforms" improper as it indicates to the not-full system
of Soviet education, which Armenia intended to turn repulse. "We are
the result of the Soviet system of education and not our children
who do not get enough knowledge now after the collapse of the Soviet
system. We speak of integrating the Armenian system of education into
the European one and not of eradication of the almost perfect Soviet
system of education," the minister said.

The minister stressed the importance of assessment of the problems in
the system of general, higher and secondary-specialized education. As
regards the sphere of science, the minister just stated that the
"unclear reform" in the system has almost ruined the Armenian
science. He promised to work on the mechanisms of reanimation of
the country’s scientific potential. He believes that transparent and
logical management of the spheres of education and science must be
secured by the responsible persons. The more so as the problems are
not connected with material difficulties only. The ministry is to start
licensing and accreditation of education establishments in future.

In particular, private universities are to pass rather a long probation
period to justify their claims for the status of an authoritative
establishment.