YEREVAN. – Students of the Yerevan State University (YSU) Faculty of Armenian Philology, who are protesting the draft law on Higher Education and Science, today are meeting with YSU Acting Rector of Gegham Gevorgyan.

The meeting is taking place at the hall of the YSU Faculty of History.

These students had held a protest last week outside Gevorgyan's office demanding a meeting with them. Students, after receiving a positive response from the rector, yesterday stopped the protest and the boycotting of classes they had resumed the day before.

Students from the YSU Faculty of Armenian Philology had boycotted classes also from November 6 to 20, expressing their disagreement with the new bill's proposal to make subjects "Armenian Language", "Armenian Literature" and "Armenian History" optional - and no longer mandatory - in non-specialized faculties of Armenia’s universities.

Their protest was joined by lecturers from the YSU chairs of Armenian Language and History who had announced a one-day symbolic strike in support of the students. The lecturers then met with Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sport Arayik Harutyunyan and expressed their grievances.

Students were angered, according to them, with the minister’s disrespectful demeanor toward the lecturers at the meeting.

The aforesaid controversial bill is currently being debated on as a working draft.