Video: Madam Minister, 10% of 30% is 3, that’s elementary math - Argument in the National Assembly

Today, a debate began in the National Assembly during the discussion of the 2023 budget execution report. Minister of Education, Science, Culture, and Sport Zhanna Andreasyan stated that there is international research indicating that in 2015, 30% of our children had functional illiteracy, meaning that a person has knowledge but cannot apply it.

“These children know how to read and write, but they do not understand the text they have read. 30% of 10-year-old children can read a math problem, but they do not understand the requirements of that problem. It’s not that our children are illiterate,” she said. The minister noted that this indicator has improved; according to the TIMSS results of 2019, this figure has decreased by 10%, meaning it has dropped to 20% instead of 30%.

Arthur Khachaturyan, a deputy from the “Armenia” faction, clarified: “The children with functional illiteracy were 30%, you said it decreased by 10%, did it become 20%? Madam Minister, if 30% is reduced by 10%, is it 27%? 10% of 30% is 3, that’s elementary math.” “He means that 10% of the total has decreased,” intervened Hovik Aghazaryan. Arthur Khachaturyan responded, “Listen, 10% of 30% is 3, if you understood, explain. That’s a 10 percentage point difference; if you understood, explain. Mr. Aghazaryan, since you reacted so intensely, if this continues, we'll struggle to find people who can answer without a private tutor, and if it keeps going like this, you’ll have to find someone who can tell without Google what the second capital of Armenia has been.”

For more details, see the video.