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YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 9, ARMENPRESS: Wide-scale reforms are taking place in Armenia’s education sphere which in the initial round have raised a wave of complaint among certain layers of society. Armenpress news agency spoke with the RA Education and Science Minister Armen Ashotyan about the implemented reforms and reasons of complaints.
- Mr Ashotyan, why do the public very often accept the reforms in the sphere of education with complaint?
- Education is a sphere demanding continuousness and for years neither of ministers, who were a lot, not only annulled the reforms started previously but took on them the issue on bringing the reforms to the final result. Summing up it all, I must note that as Education and Science minister I strongly realize that the pressing majority of the changes, at least in the initial round are not visible as we want to not only walk in parallel with the time but to bypass the time and implement such changes in Armenia which are the must stemming from the point of view of the next day, consequently we are troubling the process of common life of the people.
- Which are these reforms that make change the common life process of the people?
- For instance today we say that a child must go to senior school. We at least make him/her change the road to school. Connected with this, all difficulties are normal. No matter how invisible are the reforms in the initial round there are necessity and there is no alternative.
- Mr Ashotyan, which are the reforms that have passed long way of formation?
- Particularly, during the past two years we are solving the issue of formation of model of senior schools. For the first time it was spoken about senior schools in Armenia in 2006, the formation strategy was adopted in 2008, the implementation process launched in 2009 and today we already have 91 senior schools in 2011 they will add with another 14-15 and as a result we will have 105 senior schools.
Such like reforms are being implemented in the sphere of average professional education sphere.
- There are complaints over the 12-year education. Is it grounded? What will it give to the sphere of education?
- Yes, may be some part of the public will complain that today the 12-year education has become consolidated. The reason is that an Armenian parent wants its child to graduate school earlier and go to university sooner. But the same parents will see in one-two years that thanks to the 12-year education the graduate certificate of our children will be recognized in the European educational territory.