Chaired by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, hearings on public agencies’ annual performance reports continue in Government.

Today a report was presented by the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport (MESCS). Representatives of NA Standing Committee on Science, Education, Culture, Diaspora, Youth Affairs and Sport were in attendance.

Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sport Araik Harutyunyan reported on the activities carried out in 2019 and in the first 4 months of 2020: 18 pre-school institutions were established and 425 children aged 5-6 years were included in preschool education.

This year 21 more preschool institutions will be built. For the first time in Yerevan, 13,000 children were enrolled in the first grade using the electronic system, which allowed to reduce the number of schools with overcrowded / underfilled 1st grades by 50%.

A new law on preschool education has been adopted, which is why significant changes are expected in this area. For the first time in 10 years, teacher salaries increased by 10 percent.

As of 1 January 2020, 3,000 teachers and 1,000 pupils from the regions who leave one settlement for work and study will receive 3.5 times more compensation. AMD 276 million is envisaged for the program in 2020, all marzes will be included. Due to Covid-19 epidemic, since March 16 the sphere of education switched to distance learning, the participation made up 80 percent.

In September 2019, all 117 schools in the Aragatsotn region switched to the national program “Sustainable School Nutrition.” The inclusion of children with special educational needs in secondary schools is ensured.

According to the minister, one of the best programs implemented in 2019 is to equip all high schools in Yerevan and the regions of Armenia with modern equipment and laboratories for natural sciences, which can be used by about 30 thousand high school students. 5 capitally repaired high schools in the regions and Yerevan were put into operation, as part of the second phase. The repair of 8 high schools has started.

For the first time, six schools were provided with funds from the State budget to improve their response capacity. A business education component had been introduced in the primary grades of all schools, 2,498 teachers had been retrained and 10 schools had established vocational guidance clubs. Work has begun on the revision, amendment and development of Government standards for general education, subject curricula and standards.

The design and estimate documentation for construction work for 14 regional schools was developed, some of which are already being funded. Since September 2019, 4 new specializations have been introduced in the colleges of Yerevan and regions, there are no vacant places, from September of this year 1 more specialization will be introduced.

Tuition fees for 2,230 students from socially disadvantaged families and 917 students from border or highland settlements were reimbursed in the amount of 50-100%, the amount amounted to 654 million drams, of which 525 million drams were for students from socially disadvantaged families.

The creation of the EU-Tumeau complex of engineering and applied sciences has started in Yerevan, which is planned to be completed in 2023. Financing of 30 scientific topics in the field of Armenian studies has been guaranteed, a new nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometer worth 327 million drams has been purchased, which is used by more than 18 scientific and technical organizations of the Republic of Armenia.

Within the framework of cultural programs, the Minister highlighted events dedicated to the 150th anniversary of Komitas and the 150th anniversary of Tumanyan, which were held at a high level both in Armenia and in the international arena. 12 inclusive programs in the field of cultural education were supported, mainly in the regions of Armenia. The theater troupe of the Nork boarding school “Tarmani.”

A new procedure has been developed for providing free tickets to pensioners and people with disabilities, which will enable beneficiaries to enjoy free cultural services from 2020.

According to Mr. Harutyunyan, the Class+Classics and Class A educational and cultural projects were among the most successful. The number of visitors to the museums under the Ministry's jurisdiction was 1 million 230 thousand people, which is 18% more than in 2018.

The innovative project “Your art at school.” Was effectively implemented. The application of Armenia “The art of Armenian writing and its cultural manifestations” is included in the representative list of UNESCO intangible cultural heritage.

Regarding the results registered in the field of sports, the Minister noted that for the first time the top 10 athletes of the year were awarded a one-time bonus of 5 million drams, the rewarding with cash prizes will be continuous.

Armenian athletes’ honorary payments have been increased. 56 sports institutions received 99 items of professional multipurpose sports equipment worth 200 million drams. The terms and conditions offered under the Affordable Housing for Young Families state target program have been softened, which led to increased number beneficiaries.

With reference to the activities implemented under the Government’s Action Plan for 2019-2023, Araik Harutyunyan noted that due to structural processes and the development of strategies, some activities were partially implemented. They are associated with legislative changes in the field of activity of the ministry, harmonization of existing regulations, quick implementation of planned reforms, etc.

Answering the Prime Minister, the Minister provided clarifications on the work being done in this context. He reported on the process of developing per-sector strategies and on compliance with the Prime Minister’s instructions.

Nikol Pashinyan emphasized the importance of effective implementation of the tasks assigned to the Ministry, including the planned reforms. The Premier next highlighted the importance of the ongoing education reform. According to the Prime Minister, the concept should be developed on the basis of a chain that links the content, quality of learning and equivalent infrastructure. He stressed the need for organizing extensive teacher training programs, which should help develop professional skills and provide financial incentives.

The responsible MESCS officials reported back the activities carried out in this direction. Reforms and further steps in the fields of higher education, science and vocational education were discussed during the meeting. Deputy Prime Minister Tigran Avinyan presented the initiatives implemented in these areas under the Work, Armenia Program

A number of proposals and recommendations were voiced during the exchange of views that followed. The Prime Minister emphasized the need to harmonize the relevant concepts with the strategies of various departments and told the stakeholders to work together. It was agreed to organize a discussion on conceptual approaches in the near future with a view to developing educational systems with participation of all stakeholders.