Discussion Held in Government on the Performance of the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport for 2019

Under the leadership of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, discussions on the reports of the activities of the state management bodies of the Republic of Armenia for 2019 continue in the government. On June 11, the work accomplished by the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture, and Sport was presented. Representatives from the National Assembly's standing committee on science, education, culture, diaspora, youth, and sports participated in the discussion.

According to the information provided by the Public Relations Department of the Prime Minister's Office, Minister Arayik Harutyunyan reported on the activities conducted during 2019 and the first four months of 2020. Eighteen kindergartens were established, and 425 additional children aged 5-6 were included in preschool education. This year, 21 more kindergartens will be constructed. “For the first time in Yerevan, the enrollment of 13,000 children into the first grade was conducted through an electronic system, and the number of overloaded/overcrowded first-grade classes has been reduced by 50 percent. A new law on preschool education has been adopted, which is expected to bring significant changes in the sector,” he said.

In the last ten years, teachers’ salaries have been increased by 10 percent for the first time. Starting January 1, 2020, 3,000 teachers and 1,000 students commuting from one locality to another for work and study will receive 3.5 times higher compensation, with 276 million AMD allocated for this program covering all regions.

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, from March 16, the education sector transitioned to distance learning, with an 80 percent participation rate. In September 2019, all 117 schools in Aragatsotn province joined the National Program for Sustainable School Nutrition. Inclusion of children with special educational needs in mainstream schools was ensured.

The Minister noted that one of the best programs implemented in 2019 was the equipping of all high schools in Yerevan and the provinces with modern scientific equipment and laboratories, which will benefit around 30,000 high school students. Five renovated high schools in the regions and Yerevan have been put into operation, and renovations are underway for eight more high schools in the second phase.

For the first time, state budget funds have been allocated to improve the capacity of six schools to respond to disasters. Entrepreneurship education components have been introduced in all elementary classes, 2,498 teachers have been retrained, and vocational orientation clubs have been established in 10 schools. Work has begun on revising, modifying, and developing state educational standards and subject programs.

Construction project documentation for 14 regional colleges has been developed, with some already financed. In September 2019, four new specialties were introduced in colleges in Yerevan and the regions, and all positions were filled, with another specialty set to be introduced in September this year.

Tuition fees for 2,230 socially vulnerable students and 917 students from border or high mountain areas have been reimbursed by 50-100 percent, totaling 654 million AMD, with 525 million AMD for students from low-income families. The establishment of the EU-Tumo engineering and applied sciences complex has commenced in Yerevan, scheduled for completion in 2023.

Funding has been secured for 30 scientific topics in the field of Armenian studies, and a new nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometer was purchased for 327 million AMD, benefiting over 18 scientific and technical organizations in Armenia.

In the framework of cultural programs, the Minister highlighted events dedicated to the 150th anniversaries of Komitas and Tumanyan, which were held at a high level both in Armenia and internationally. Support has been provided for 12 inclusive programs in the area of cultural education, primarily in the provinces of Armenia. The “Tarmani” theater group for the elderly has been established at the Norq orphanage in Yerevan.

A new regulation has been developed to provide free tickets to pensioners and persons with disabilities, allowing beneficiaries to access cultural services free of charge starting from 2020. According to A. Harutyunyan, the most successful projects include “Classroom+Classical” and “ClassA.” The number of visitors to museums under the Ministry's jurisdiction reached 1.23 million, an 18 percent increase compared to 2018.

The innovative project “Your Art in School” has been effectively implemented. The Republic of Armenia's application for the “Armenian Letter Art and its Cultural Expressions” was registered in UNESCO’s representative list of the intangible cultural heritage of humanity.

Regarding the results in the field of sports, the minister stated that for the first time, the top 10 athletes of the year have been awarded a one-time prize of 5 million AMD, a practice that will continue. The amount of awards given to athletes has increased. Fifty-six sports institutions received various professional sports equipment worth 200 million AMD. Conditions for the state-targeted program “Affordable Housing for Young Families” have been eased, leading to an increase in the number of borrowers and the volume of loans.

A. Harutyunyan, addressing the implementation of the government's activity program for 2019-2023, noted that due to structural processes and strategies' development, certain activities have been partially implemented. These pertain to legislative changes in the field of the Ministry's activities, the alignment of existing regulations, and the rapid realization of the planned reforms.

In response to questions from the Prime Minister, the minister provided clarifications regarding the work being done in this context and reported on the progress of developing sectoral strategies for the education, science, and culture sectors. Nikol Pashinyan emphasized the effective implementation of the challenges set before the department and the planned reforms while highlighting their consistent and gradual nature.

The Prime Minister underscored the priority of reforming the education sector, discussing the creation of a supportive educational environment and effective organization of the educational process. According to the Prime Minister, a comprehensive concept should be developed based on the interconnection of educational content, teaching quality, and relevant infrastructure. Teacher retraining is of particular importance and should focus on professional development and financial incentives.

Officials from the Ministry presented the work being done in this direction. Reforms and future actions in higher education, science, and vocational education were also discussed. Deputy Prime Minister Tigran Avinyan presented initiatives being carried out in these areas within the framework of the “Work in Armenia” program. Interested exchanges of ideas occurred, and several observations were made. The Prime Minister emphasized the importance of aligning the strategies of various ministries with the concepts in these fields and instructed to work together. An agreement has been reached to organize a discussion soon involving stakeholders on the conceptual approaches to the development of educational systems.