Arayik Harutyunyan to Meet Demonstrating Youth from the ARF Tomorrow

The Armenian Revolutionary Federation Youth Organisation (ARF HEM) initiated a meeting with Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sports, Arayik Harutyunyan on November 29.

"Considering the minister's repeated statements regarding his willingness to meet with all parties and discuss pressing issues, the ARF HEM has proposed this meeting with Minister Harutyunyan, which will take place tomorrow, December 3, at 15:00. During the meeting, the following demands published by ARF HEM on November 26 will be discussed.

Reaffirming our commitment to the struggle for a progressive and national value-based society, we present our demands:

1. Development and publication of relevant strategies based on current demands in education, science, culture, and sports, as well as the imperative to have a national state.
2. Significant increase in state financing for education, science, culture, and sports. Over the coming years, it is essential to have a strategic goal to increase the share of funding for education to 3-4% of GDP, while for science, this figure should exceed 1% of GDP.
3. Ensuring the mandatory teaching of the Armenian language and Armenian history in higher education institutions, focusing on developing corresponding conceptual frameworks and professional programs. The teaching of the Armenian language must ensure that graduates acquire solid knowledge, enabling them to master the relevant terminology. Regarding the subject of Armenian history, students should develop critical thinking skills and a profound understanding of the challenges facing their homeland.
4. Ensuring the mandatory teaching of Armenian Church history in schools, with emphasis on presenting the essence of the Armenian Apostolic Church, an inseparable part of national identity, and strengthening state-oriented and Armenia-centered thinking among students.
5. Withdrawal or fundamental revision of the draft law on Higher Education and Science. Initiate the introduction of a project that would promote real academic freedom in higher education institutions and their administrative autonomy, aiming to secure the link between higher education, science, and the labor market. The project should also clearly define the role of the National Academy of Sciences in the development of science.
6. Any official who ignores the importance of these changes or mocks the national agenda must be relieved from their position as soon as possible.

Our actions will continue to stem from the necessity of implementing the above-mentioned demands. We expect a constructive approach from the minister," the statement reads.