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YEREVAN. - Illiteracy is the root of all human evils. 

President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan noted the aforementioned at the meeting with Minister of Education and Science of Armenia, Levon Mkrtchyan on Wednesday.

The Minister reported to the President on the current situation in the sphere of general education and higher vocational education, process of educational system reforms, existing issues, as well as the work and innovative programs aimed at making the opportunity of receiving quality education equally available to everyone in the republic.

Mkrtchyan also referred to the achievements in the sphere of education. According to him, one of the most important of them is that Armenia has managed to keep its “educational clock” unfailing as a result of the consistent work carried out for many years.

The Minister stressed that along with traditional excellence centers, including the network of physics and mathematical schools, etc., serious innovative educational programs have been added to the sphere of general education, such as Araratian Baccalaureate and the idea of educational cluster in Dilijan. On the basis of the existing basis, it is possible to set up excellence centers, he noted.

Referring to the issues in the sphere, the Minister noted: “We have two big issues, which you have mentioned. One is that of high school and transition from general education to the vocational one, the other being the transition from higher education to science and labor market, which we conventionally call master’s degree education.” He also thoroughly touched on the work carried out and future actions to be implemented in the direction of solving the aforementioned issues.

President Sargsyan, for his part, noted that the role of school is not to back only excellent pupils who win in international Olympiads and get admitted to the best universities of the world and thus be less careful towards the other pupils.  “I think the aim of the school is to not only prepare a brilliant scientist, doctor, teacher, astronaut or businessman but, most importantly, together with the family prepare a citizen of the Republic of Armenia—patriotic, diligent and law-abiding.

I have repeatedly noted that I think illiteracy is the root of all human evils. Moreover, an illiterate man is not the one who has not received higher education, but the one who has no simple moral standards and basic knowledge, which is indeed an evil.”

Referring to the Araratian Baccalaureate and excellence centers, Sargsyan noted that both the geography and the driving force of these institutions should increase. “You are right: we cannot make the education, let alone the general education, elitist. Yes, there should be institutions which are different from others. Similarity won’t result in anything good,” he added.

The President also stressed that the whole process of training teachers should be changed, adding that the teachers who manage to constantly pass trainings in line with modern standards should stand out from others both in terms of approach and salary. In his words, efforts should also be aimed at establishing such quality educational institutions in provinces.  

After the Minister’s report, President Sargsyan instructed to set up an expert panel, including in them persons who took part in the educational reform program, and within the period of six months present the key provisions of reforms in the vocational education system. 

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