LEVON MKRTCHIAN: PASSING TO 12-YEAR EDUCATION IS ONE OF CONDITIONS OF
INTEGRATION INTO GENERAL FIELD

YEREVAN, JUNE 30, NOYAN TAPAN. The discussion held at the RA National
Assembly on June 30 with participation of the RA Minister of Education
and Science, directors of all schools of the country, representatives
of interested departments and public organizations was dedicated to
passing to the 12-year educational system.

According to Minister of Education and Science Levon Mkrtchian, the
goal of the discussion is again to present the society the next stage
of reforms being implemented in the country, passing to the 12-year
education. According to the Minister, the previous, Soviet educational
system has exhausted itself long before, and naturally, in the 21st
century, Armenia as well was to join a new educational system with
many countries, in the given case, the Bologna processes. According to
Minister Levon Mkrtchian, children’s education starts from the
pre-school age, and other stages are closely correlated. "So, every
step of reforms adds another and prepares for the next stage," the
Minister mentioned.

He attached much importance to the issue that when implementing those
passings, goals are made clear, and any change and passing have a
correct goal and result. Passing to the 12-year education is one of
conditions of integration to the general educational field, and if
this passing is not implemented in 2008, final certificates and
diplomas of schools and higher educational institutions of Armenia may
not function in other educational territories.

Upcoming re-trainings to be organized for teachers were touched upon
during the discussions, which, according to the Minister and other
specialists of that sphere, suppose meaningless and unproductive waste
of time and money. "They will just get acquainted with the made
amendments during those 20 days. As for a deep re-training, it will
not be," the Minister emphasized. According to him, the Yerevan
Khachatur Abovian Pedagogical University almost does not work today in
that sense. This institution of higher education must change its
traditional methods of preparing personnels and ways of teaching as
well as must secure teachers’ methodical re-training," Levon Mkrtchian
mentioned.