Armenian Ministry of Education Explains Reason for Renaming 'History of Armenia' Subject

The Republic of Armenia's Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports has presented a draft amendment regarding the "Procedure for the Formation and Approval of State Educational Standards and the Approval of State Educational Standards for General Education," proposing to rename the subject "History of Armenia" to "History of Armenia."

According to the justification attached to the draft, it is stipulated in the 6th sub-point of the 33rd point of the State Educational Standards that in the framework of the fields of "Patriotism" and "Society, Social Sciences," the history, culture, and religion of Armenia and the Armenian people, geography, and spheres of public life are presented in the general state program for grades 5-6.

In the 35th point of the State Educational Standards, "History of Armenia" is listed as a mandatory subject, the name of which is proposed to be changed to "History of Armenia," which is more characteristic of the material studied within the subject's framework, as it encompasses events that occurred during various periods of Armenian statehood and the history of the Armenian people.

By naming the subject after the country’s history, an institutional approach is demonstrated to strengthen the ideas of the state and statehood through the subject. The taught subject is presented as the history of acting as a collective and organized society. In this case, the representation of periods of state non-existence differs significantly in terms of methodological approach, highlighting the importance of the existence of the state and forming in learners the awareness of their own country’s interests and the necessary attitudes and values for their protection.

On the other hand, the name "History of Armenia," which mostly narrates the activities of historically significant individuals, somewhat encourages the idea that history can also be formed without statehood, thus not contributing to the key competencies defined by the State Educational Standards, particularly in shaping the behavior of a state-oriented citizen.

It is noteworthy that in several countries, the subject dedicated to the study of the history of a given country is called the history of that country, and the change has been implemented as a result of studying the experiences of several countries. In particular, the histories of India, Britain, Italy, China, Georgia, Kazakhstan, and Saudi Arabia are studied under the subject named after the respective country.

Experts in the field and interested organizations can submit their opinions and suggestions regarding the draft to the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports of the Republic of Armenia until February 2, 2024.