Regulations on the Choice of Foreign Language in Schools: Araik Harutyunyan's New Order

On August 31, Araik Harutyunyan, the Minister of Education, Science, Culture, and Sports, signed a new order approving model educational plans for the 2020-2021 academic year.

According to the order:

1. Educational institutions implementing general state programs in primary education will teach two foreign languages, with Russian being the first and the second language being English, French, German, or any other language.
2. Based on the institution's choice, a third foreign language (aside from Russian and the other foreign language) can be taught during 5th to 9th grades (1.5 or 2 hours per week) and 10th to 12th grades (2 hours per week), subject to the existence of necessary conditions for teaching based on standards and programs approved by the Ministry.
3. With the recommendations of the pedagogical council and the relevant authorized body of the institution, it is possible to replace the second foreign language taught in the institution (English, French, German, etc.) with another foreign language or to determine a second foreign language taught in newly established institutions.

In primary school, the subjects of “Russian Language” and “Foreign Language” will be taught, while in middle and high school, the subjects include “Armenian Language,” “Russian Language,” “Foreign Language,” and “Informatics” (if there is a computer lab). If the number of students is 20 or more, classes may be split into two groups if there are available specialists, space, and additional financial resources.

The class can also be divided into two groups during the lessons of the Ministry-approved subject “Middle Armenian” (during 7th or 8th and 11th grade) provided that class hours are allocated for that subject.

For “Technology” classes (5th to 7th grades), the class will be split into two groups based on gender, regardless of the number of students, with teaching organized according to the approved subject program for each group.

If necessary, institutions are authorized to redistribute the allocated hours for subject teaching in accordance with the approved educational plan while maintaining the total annual hours for the subject.

In 8th to 11th grades, the “Healthy Lifestyle” course is taught based on programs and educational materials guaranteed by the Ministry, for which 14 class hours per year are allocated to each class.

1. The hours allocated for the “Healthy Lifestyle” course are formed by separating 14 class hours from the annual hours assigned for the “Physical Education” subject.
2. The educational materials designed for the “Physical Education” subject are subjected to thematic redistribution, maintaining the entire volume of the approved program for that class.
3. The “Healthy Lifestyle” course is taught during educational activities.
4. Current assessments are not performed for the “Healthy Lifestyle” course. Records of the course are made on a separate page in the class journal.
5. In 6th to 12th grades, at least 1 hour of instruction monthly is organized for subjects such as “Armenian Language,” “Mathematics,” “Informatics,” “Chemistry,” “Physics,” “Biology,” “History of Armenia,” and others in a computer lab or classroom (if appropriate technology and classroom are available), based on the content and methodological requirements of each subject being taught. To achieve this more effectively, it is necessary to use electronic educational materials posted in the “Armenian Educational Environment Resource Repository” (http://lib.armedu.am).

In 6th and 7th grades, one of the subjects “Art” and “Music” will be taught at the institution's discretion in the first semester, while the other will be taught in the second semester, ensuring the preservation of the total annual hours required for each subject as provided in this appendix.

To ensure the simultaneous teaching of topics in “History of Armenia” and “World History,” teachers are permitted to make partial changes in the class schedule of these subjects while maintaining the total annual hours allocated for each subject.

In line with educational programs at different levels, in primary, middle, and high schools, the education of students in special medical groups may be conducted using the program for “Physical Education” for special medical groups in public schools, either within the allocated hours for particular groups or during regular class hours for the “Physical Education” subject, on an individual program. Assessment of students in special medical groups for the “Physical Education” subject is not conducted.