We Need an Educational Program That Contributes to the Development of the Country: Prime Minister Issues Clear Instructions

Under the leadership of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, discussions were held at the government regarding the budget allocations requested by the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture, and Sports for 2020. The discussion focused on the ministry's priorities, key issues, initiatives, and reforms for 2020.

The challenges facing the general education sector and the work being done to address them were first on the agenda. Minister Arayik Harutyunyan noted that to enhance the effectiveness of educational institutions, a teacher certification process is set to be organized in 2020, and retraining programs will be implemented based on the results.

Efforts are ongoing to alter high school curricula to make them more effective. Discussions are also underway regarding the curriculum and educational programs.

The conversation included capital expenditures for educational institutions and the operations of kindergartens. It was mentioned that children only spend about 4-5 hours in kindergarten during the day. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan emphasized that through kindergartens, the state should create broader opportunities for parents to work, while children should start their educational process and engage in the educational experience.

“We need to have an educational program that contributes to the development of the country so that we equip individuals with maximum skills,” stated Prime Minister Pashinyan.

Attention was also drawn to the culture sector, particularly the activities of museums, theaters, and musical groups, emphasizing the need to activate their operations. The Prime Minister highlighted the importance of the effective functioning of cultural institutions, including increasing their own revenues, which would allow them to attract additional funding beyond state resources to expand their activities and address challenges.

Regarding the science sector, officials noted that over the past year, various laboratories have been outfitted with modern equipment thanks to government funding. In 2020, funding for science is expected to increase by 17%, reaching 1.5 billion drams, which is an unprecedented amount compared to previous allocations. Out of this funding, 510 million drams will again be directed towards the renewal of laboratories. Specific criteria are set to be established in 2020 for evaluating the activities of scientific institutions.

For the sports sector, more than 4 billion drams have been allocated for the coming year, targeting approximately thirty initiatives.

The optimization of the ministry's vehicle fleet is continuing, with 8 out of the 19 service vehicles remaining at its disposal. The Prime Minister emphasized the importance of implementing optimization work in this regard and issued specific instructions.