Civil oversight mechanisms applied in special education schools

YEREVAN, MAY 5, ARMENPRESS: Mechanisms of civil oversight are being applied in special education schools of the republic. Artak Poghosyan, head of the General Education Department of the Armenian Ministry of Education and Science, told Armenpress that the staff of the council has already been confirmed; it includes 15 NGOs.

The council must implement a monitoring in special education schools. People selected beforehand can visit special education schools, carry out studies, talk to children and in case of finding out problems make aware the ministry. The council has already summoned its first session and in near future is to develop its activity system.

“There are problems in any educational establishment, and the ministry undertakes all the measures for their solution. The civil oversight can play a serious role in that issue. The application of suchlike approaches enables to find out the problems in a short period of time and respond to them in time,” A. Poghosyan said.

According to the formation system of the council, it must be comprised of 7-21 people, and as today it has 15 members, according to A. Poghosyan, people from other NGOs are possible to be involved in it as well. “Involvement of NGOs has not been an end in itself. We have had a wish to involve all those who have been engaged in educational programs in the last two years,” A. Poghosyan said.

He also noted that the council is open for cooperation. All the NGOs which want to involve their representatives in the monitoring works can apply to the council. The selection process of observers will be followed by their training. A. Poghosyan said that the training is of great importance, for the observer must understand the main scope of its activity.

There are 24 special education schools in the republic, 10 of which are subordinated to the Armenian Ministry of Education and Science. Three thousand 500 children learn in 24 general education schools. A. Poghosyan noted that in near future the observers of the council will conduct monitoring in the schools subordinated to the ministry. And later a monitoring is intended to conduct in other special schools as well.