Ministry Approves Remote Education Regulations

The Minister of Education, Science, Culture, and Sports of Armenia, Arayik Harutyunyan, has approved the regulations for organizing remote (distance) education in general educational institutions. This was reported by the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture, and Sports.

Remote education is mainly conducted through information technologies and telecommunications. Educational institutions that hold a license for implementing general educational programs, as well as the Distance Learning Center operating within the National Center for Educational Technologies, are authorized to organize remote education.

Participants in remote education include students, teachers, educational staff, parents, or a legal representative of the student, as well as subject specialists from the Distance Learning Center during the absence of the relevant subject teacher at the school.

The content of remote educational programs cannot differ from what is stipulated by the program and standards of the specific subject.

Remote education can be organized in the following cases:

• If the institution lacks a specialist in the relevant subject until the vacant teaching position is filled through a competitive process as stipulated by regulation.
• If an emergency or force majeure situation has been declared (unfavorable weather conditions, the spread of acute infectious diseases, natural disasters, etc.).
• For children of parents (legal representatives) who are engaged in diplomatic work or temporarily residing with parents in foreign countries, if their right to education is not realized in that country.
• For children who require long-term treatment, making it impossible for them to participate in in-person education.
• For children who are participants in subject-specific or sports international Olympiads or competitions and frequently are absent from the country.
• For individuals who must take final examinations through external means to obtain a certificate of basic or secondary education.
• For children of families living in the diaspora, as well as those wishing to return to Armenia, who intend to master basic programs through additional education to enroll in general education in Armenia.

Compensation: Teachers organizing remote education for the entire academic year receive a salary equivalent to one teaching position, while in other cases, they are paid by the hour, except for classes held during emergencies and force majeure situations.

Organization Procedure: Remote education is organized according to grade levels in accordance with the general education programs of the institution where the student is registered. If the institution lacks the technical means for organizing remote education or does not have a teacher for the relevant subject, remote education is organized by a teacher from another educational institution with the support of the Distance Learning Center.

Remote education is organized according to the educational plan and subject programs, and students who meet the requirements are evaluated by the procedures established by the authorized body for state education management.

The process of remote education is organized in accordance with the schedule approved by the director of the educational institution, with the director's deputy for educational affairs being responsible for organizing the educational process.

A personal page with a corresponding code is opened in the educational management information system for each student by the educational institution or the Distance Learning Center.

The teaching process through remote education is considered conducted if at least 90% of the students master 70% of the planned duration through ICT. For students who have not participated in the remote education process, mastery of lessons is conducted through individual sessions according to the methods established by the educational institution or the Distance Learning Center.

During remote education, the acceptance, transfer, promotion, and release of learners are carried out by the educational institution according to the procedures established by Armenian legislation for in-person education.

The methodological materials for remote education are posted on the integrated page of remote learning at heravar.armedu.am, which is accessible to all educational institutions. The educational institution may independently develop new methodological materials in accordance with the subject program, educational plan, and state standards.