ABOUT 35 THOUSAND FIRST-FORMERS TO STUDY AT ARMENIAN COMPREHENSIVE SCHOOLS THIS ACADEMIC YEAR

Noyan Tapan
Sep 3, 2007

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 3, NOYAN TAPAN. About 35 thousand first-formers
will study at Armenian comprehensive schools this academic year. Their
number has declined by nearly 4 thousand as compared with the 2005-2006
academic year, the head of the Comprehensive Education Department of
the RA Ministry of Education and Science Narine Hovhannisian stated at
the August 31 press conference. According to her, 6-year-old children
are also among first-formers this academic year. Last year’s experience
showed that all problems related to the junior form were overcome and
the worries that 6-year-old children are too young to go to school
were baseless.

In her words, first-formers will get all textbooks gratis, except
textbooks on foreign languages and singing. Pupils of other forms
will have to return textbooks at the end of the school year. The
department head said that more than 10 titles of new textbooks have
been printed. 11 thousand teachers have undergone training.

N. Hovhannisian reminded that the minister has not issued any
instruction about school uniform. She noted that at those schools
where a uniform is mandatory, this decision was made by the parent
community and teachers.

The speaker said that the ministry is now developing the 2007-2015
program on development of education, whose purpose is to improve
the quality of education at schools. Besides, the concept of senior
schools has been developed, according to which the flow system of
education will be introduced in junior schools: advanced study of
some subjects based on the pupil’s preference and his/her abilities.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress