YEREVAN. -- I’m inviting the Minister of Education and Science to a public debate. This is what member of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation-Dashnaktsutyun (ARF-D), former Minister of Economy Artsvik Minasyan said during a February 12 press conference, commenting on the statement of Armenia’s Minister of Education and Science Arayik Harutyunyan that the education sector was in a bad situation during the long-term term of office of one of the representatives of the ARF-D.

According to Minasyan, new approaches must not be applied by refusing traditions, and the authorities must refrain from violating national values.

“The law on education was first adopted at the initiative of ARF-D member Levon Mkrtchyan back in 1999 when Mkrtchyan was the Minister of Education and Science. This was followed by the introduction of an electronic system in the education sector, the opening of a Chinese school and the revision of the law on higher education. Today, there are not even provisions on patriotic discipline in the government program. Moreover, there are talks about removing the “History of the Armenian Church” subject from the curriculum. The government says this is due to universal human values and forgets that human rights are also part of national belonging,” he noted.

Artsvik Minasyan highlighted the fact that even though the minister’s statement isn’t correct, the ARF-D is ready to debate. “This invitation also concerns other government officials, including Nikol Pashinyan. We are ready to hold public debates and prove the truthfulness of our stance,” he added.