The Academic City Will Be One of the Most Transformative Programs for Society, Says Zhanna Andreasyan

Discussions on the annual report on the execution of the Republic of Armenia's 2023 state budget continued in the National Assembly. The Ministry of Education, Science, Culture, and Sports implemented 20 budget programs in 2023 with a volume of 233 billion drams. Presenting last year's annual report on the execution of the state budget in the fields of education, science, culture, and sports, Minister Zhanna Andreasyan particularly addressed the public impacts of budget programs.

The introduction of the new standard has increased children's motivation. "Thanks to the reform of general education content and the introduction of a new standard, a 6-month additional educational outcome has been ensured for children over a 2-year period. In other words, we have returned 6 months of effective learning to children, reducing the gap that has been recorded for years between the duration of education and learning outcomes. Project-based learning and various groups have become mandatory in schools. Some schools now teach artificial intelligence courses, and work is being done towards the implementation of a credit system. The state has started funding additional extended classes for underperforming students," said Andreasyan, emphasizing that the introduction of the new standard has led to an increase in children's motivation and interest in learning.

The Academic City, in the view of the Minister of Education, is one of the most important projects, which will radically change the educational environment and atmosphere in our country. "Last year, we started with the intention and desire for the Academic City, and we ended the year with the establishment of the city’s established concept, a foundation created for the implementation of the project, and an ongoing process of developing the main plan for the city by one of the best design companies, which will be completed in the coming month. Agreements have been reached with leading international universities for the creation of the Academic City on approximately 700 hectares designated for the city, and work has begun on the consolidation of universities and the unification of research institutions," she noted.

According to Andreasyan, intensive work is currently underway on the transportation project of the Academic City, urban development, management, and financing systems. She expressed confidence that the Academic City will become one of the most transformative programs for society.

Various programs to increase teachers' salaries are in effect. The Minister also informed that last year, the salaries of 8420 teachers in science and information technology increased by 25%, while the salaries of about 3000 teachers working in small schools in rural areas increased by up to 50% or more than 40,000 drams. Through voluntary certification, around 3830 teachers have at least doubled their salaries, with more than 100 teachers receiving a 50% bonus due to a new categorization mechanism. "These mechanisms have turned the possibility of a salary of 300,000 to 400,000 drams into reality for hundreds of teachers in our country. We have teachers earning up to 600,000 drams, who, thanks to their work and effort, have benefited from the opportunities provided by the government. As a result of all this, we have registered more than 3300 new teachers in the system last year. This is an incredible result achieved by our continuous efforts to make teaching attractive and competitive, despite criticism and skepticism. This statistic shows that people are responding to the government's policy," Andreasyan stated, adding that 16% of the 3300 newly recruited teachers are men.

She also mentioned that more than half of the 3300 teachers have been employed in rural schools. 32% are under 30 years old, and 39% are aged 31-40, which, according to the minister, is also a good indicator of generational change. Teachers, particularly in the areas of science and physical education, have actively engaged where there has been a shortage of teachers for years. "We are on the right track and already have a system where the teacher's work becomes attractive," the minister concluded.

In the field of science, the number of researchers has increased. According to last year's results, around 150 new researchers entered the field of science. This trend follows the one that started in 2022, marking the first increase in researchers in decades, rather than a decrease. Over two years, about 350 new researchers have been involved in basic programs, most of whom are young scientists. "All of this is thanks to the programs initiated in 2021 in the field of science, which are yielding results. The salaries of scientists have increased by up to 267% as of January 1, 2024. Funding for science has increased by about 280% compared to 2018. This has made funding for science internationally competitive, evidenced by the participation of scientists from various countries in our programs. Today, we do not have a funding issue; we face quality and efficiency challenges, which is why, for example, last year, we did not distribute the entire budget, setting clear qualitative requirements for the submitted proposals," Andreasyan explained.

In terms of culture, the adoption of the "Cultural Development and Preservation Strategy" was crucial, according to the minister. "Culture definitely requires special state and public attention, but it is also an important sector of modern creative economy. We need to maintain and develop, forming a self-sufficient system that steps out of the traditional role of constantly asking for money, becoming a generator of public good," the minister emphasized.

In this direction, Andreasyan highlighted the importance of implementing a new funding model for theatrical organizations, which encourages cultural activities by doubling the institution's recorded income from the state. Last year, a pilot program was introduced at the A. Spendiarian Academic Theatre of Opera and Ballet, and this year it will also be applied at the Hovhannes Tumanyan National Puppet Theatre.

"At the Opera Theatre, there has been an increase of over 40% in salaries, and new performances are scheduled in the repertoire, with the participation of invited artists and directors. We have introduced a partial refund investment program in case of joint film production with amendments to the cinematography law, offering a 10-40% refund possibility, which has already sparked great interest," Andreasyan stated.

The minister also addressed the ticket pricing policy of museums, setting a minimum rate of 1000 drams and making entry free for children under 12 years old. Moreover, revenues from ticket sales have increased by approximately 50%. "After more than 14 years, we have restored the budget for supplementing museums, allowing them now to enhance their collections. International cooperation among museums has significantly increased. This September, we expect an exhibition in collaboration with the British Museum at the Museum of Armenian History. Discussions are also underway regarding an exhibition with the Louvre and other major museums," Andreasyan said.

She also noted that significant funds have been allocated for the restoration and reinforcement of monuments, amounting to over 563 million drams last year, which is about twice as much as in 2022. Information modular centers around protected sites-museums have begun formation, and after more than 20 years, a new monument has been presented for registration in UNESCO's preliminary list of World Heritage sites. Important work has been done in the area of intangible cultural heritage, registering the tradition of blacksmithing in Gyumri in the relevant UNESCO lists and creating digital databases for more than 250 traditional national dishes.

According to the minister, a key focus has also been the decentralization of culture, which includes the annual "FESTIVAR" regional musical festival, which will now be held annually. Annual spiritual music festivals and author song festivals in Jermuk, which will also become a competition this year, are being implemented.

In sports, approximately 10.3 billion drams have been invested by the state, which is about five times higher than the same index in 2018. The minister noted that due to these continuous efforts, our athletes have achieved unprecedented results in 2023, winning 445 medals in various international arenas. "In December last year, we approved the 2024-2030 strategy for the physical culture and sports sectors, which is the first of its kind in this area. We have hosted five major international championships, equivalent to the total of the previous 30 years. The high level of their implementation has made Armenia an important location on the international sports map. We have agreements for around 10 major international championships in the coming years," Andreasyan reported.

Concluding her remarks, the minister emphasized that the development of human capital is indispensable. "People are our country's main resource, which is the government’s vision. This approach is validated by a very simple fact: even in developed countries, public funding for education decreased, on average, by 13% during and after the pandemic. Despite that and the multitude of other challenges our state faces, we have recorded an increase in educational funding every year in recent years. The increase for 2024 compared to 2023 is 38%. This is the way to make the development agenda a priority and to follow it consistently and tirelessly," Andreasyan concluded.