A NEW SYSTEM OF PROVIDING TEXTBOOKS TO BE WORKED OUT IN 2011

ARMENPRESS
Apr 29, 2010

YEREVAN, APRIL 29, ARMENPRESS: The system of providing textbooks
published by state funding must be changed, Chairman of the Oversight
Chamber of Armenia Iskhan Zakaryan said at today’s governmental
session. According to him, though a great sum of money is extended
for publishing textbooks for junior classes, which must be provided
for free, their sale in the market is continued.

I. Zakaryan said the studies have shown that the demand of books
through state means is satisfied in 100 %. In that case it is not
clear why more books are published, as a result of which the textbooks
appear in the market. According to him, one of the issues is that
there are selective textbooks, and the other issue is that the books
do not reach to schools from governor offices.

Armenian Education and Science Minister Armen Ashotyan noted that the
current system of providing books does not justify itself. He said
that in many cases the applications received from schools and governor
offices do not correspond to the wish of a school director or teacher.

He noted that the mechanisms and approaches must be changed for
the next year; the selection of books must not depend only on the
governor office or school. According to the minister, special oversight
mechanisms must be worked out, in order it becomes clear which books
to provide to children.