SECOND ALL-ARMENIAN EDUCATIONAL CONFERENCES KICKS OFF IN ARMENIA

Arka News Agency, Armenia
Aug. 17, 2006

YEREVAN, August 17. /ARKA/. The second all-Armenian Educational
Conferences kicked off in Armenia. In Yerevan on Thursday during
the opening ceremony, the RA Minister of Science and Education
Levon Lazarian said that the conference would be of great practical
importance, especially taking into consideration the fact that it’s
immediately before the Armenia-Diaspora forum.

He said that the conference was mainly aimed consistent elaboration and
introduction of necessary principles and criteria in the all-Armenian
educational system.

"We do not strive to work out common standards for schools of all
Armenian communities of the world, however the fact that we have a
common goal, which we can embody in tasks and graphics is evident",
Lazarian finds.

He emphasized that during the conference participants will discuss
main issues, which worry representatives of Armenian schools of
Armenia and Diaspora.

"The agenda of the event includes, particularly the issue of teaching
Armenian Studies at school, problems of language policy in the system
of secondary education, the necessity of creating a department of
West-Armenian Language in the Yerevan State University and Armenian
on-line school", he explained.

In his turn head of the Diaspora relations department of RA Ministry of
Science and Education Hrach Tadevosyan emphasized that 150 directors
of schools, lycees and educational centers from 23 countries of the
world, namely from Russia, Georgia, Karabakh, USA, Argentina, Canada
and France take part in the event.

The second All-Armenian Educational Conference is being held in
Tsakhkadzor Armenian resort city from August 18 to 20.

The first such conference was held in Armenia in 2004. Such event’s
are aimed at unifying the potential in the sphere of education in
the scope of the Armenia-Diaspora cooperation, specifying dominant
directions of the educational sphere, joint and systemized elaboration
of programs on timely issues and search for solutions, as well as
rendering practical assistance.

The third Armenia-Diaspora Forum is scheduled for September 18-20,
2006.