Education minister promises to be stricter this year

Minister of Education and Science Armen Ashotyan has told headmasters of secondary schools that the Ministry will set higher standards for educational processes beginning the next academic year.
At a meeting that had brought together principals of 106 high schools, the minister addressed the achievement and drawbacks of the previous year, noting the switch to a 12-year education was perceived equivocally by the public.
"We hear at times rumors about a planned transition to an 11- and even a 10-year education system. I have to repeat again that a 12-year education has no alternative in the comprehensive education system. Those opposing to the plan had better improve the system instead of protesting against it," he said, adding that ensuring lawfulness of education processes is a priority task for the ministry.
The minister informed the principals of Yerevan high schools that their institutions will be under a permanent monitoring beginning September 1.
He promised further to visit the high schools in other cities and towns as part of his regional tours. Addressing the problem of the building conditions, Ashotyan said they cannot launch drastic reforms in that direction this year.
"To improve the building conditions of all our high schools we need allocations in the amount of $120 million only for this year, but that, obviously, is not realistic," he noted.
Ashotyan said they are planning investments in 15 schools starting from the second half of 2013. He considered financial-economic issues to be of utmost importance.
"We have an overproduction of pedagogues, which means teachers outnumber students. A headmaster is required to re-organize the workforce, ensuring a corresponding financial-economic level. We do not provide an additional payment. The more students you have, the more you will receive," he said, asking the headmasters to choose appropriate methods of managing their resources.   Read more... (305 words)

Armenian News