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  • Education Ministry's Activities Were Insufficient For Prevention Of

    EDUCATION MINISTRY'S ACTIVITIES WERE INSUFFICIENT FOR PREVENTION OF CORRUPTION - ARMENIAN OMBUDSMAN

    news.am
    March 27, 2012 | 11:35

    YEREVAN. - Armenian Ombudsman Karen Andreasyan has issued an evaluation
    of the Ministry of Education and Science activities for 2011.

    The assessment is as follows:

    Shortcomings and problems identified

    The Ministry failed to take measures in time to establish
    clear legal basis for organization of competition of textbooks for
    comprehensive schools.

    In the result of not submitting published textbooks to necessary
    examination, in some cases there were editorial, spelling and printing
    errors in them and as a result pupils' right to proper education
    was violated.

    Though, each year the RA State Budget foresees financial means for
    assurance of heating system in educational institutions, however the
    problem of heating provision during winter months in many schools
    remain unsolved, as a result of which absence of children, who are
    concerned about their health and do not attend classes, is considered
    as unexcused. In particular, the schools (mainly in villages), where
    number of pupils is few (schools are funded based on the number of
    pupils), are not provided with necessary laboratory equipments and
    materials. Schools in villages were not provided with food delivery
    services.

    Though, the Ministry has constantly taken measures for elimination
    of corruption in educational institutions, however, they were not
    sufficient for prevention and elimination of cases of money collection
    in schools and corruption in the sphere of education.

    The Ministry of Education and Science provided about 365 million AMD
    to same 7 NGOs. The 38% of the whole amount was given to "Support
    to Classical Music" NGO, activities of which are mainly related
    to cultural issues. According to the Ministry, these organizations
    carried out educational work envisaged by the application.

    As a result of lack of control carried out by the Ministry, in some
    cases relatives and friends of school directors, who not only did not
    teach, but also did not attend schools were included in school staff
    lists, in the result of which extra money has been spent from the
    state budget. Despite of all these, in the applications addressed
    to the RA State Inspectorate of Education, only 12 cases of money
    collecting and 11 cases of corruption have been reported during 2011;
    any confirming results in the course of examination of these cases
    were not registered.

    According to our sources Appliance Formulation has been terminated
    in Universities, though it has not been terminated by any legal act,
    and according to the Ministry it is operating and is regulated by
    appropriate legal acts.

    The Ministry should present to the Staff of the RA President and
    National Security Council Staff for opinion (according to the RA
    President corresponding order) Government draft decisions on granting
    a delay from compulsory military service recruitment up to the end of
    education as draft legal acts concerning security issues. The mentioned
    Government draft decisions were not coordinated with National Security
    Council Staff and in some cases were not presented to the Staff of
    the RA President.

    In the result of the slow process of providing general inclusive
    education, the right of equal access to education of children with
    mental problems continued being violated.

    The Ministry failed to take appropriate measures especially
    in regions to raise awareness about its hotline (the Ministry's
    "Hotline" received 138 calls, 114 of which relating to Yerevan,
    and 24- relating to regional schools; total number of applications,
    complaints and recommendations received from citizens is 4632).

    Positive Developments

    List of inclusive education schools has increased by 15, thus becoming
    81 in total in the Republic.

    Implementation of the pilot program for organization of general
    inclusive education has been launched in Tavush region- according
    to the RA Government decision -with an aim of improving education of
    children with special educational needs.

    The Ministry carried out several programs addressing improvement of
    the quality of education; trainings for teachers and school directors,
    renovation of buildings, re-equipments, etc.

    "Chess" course was included in the 2nd grade schools' curriculum
    beginning from 2011-2012 academic year.

    "Healthy Lifestyle" course for 10-11 grades has been developed and
    approved.

    "Trafficking" theme has been included in the "Social Sciences"
    subject for senior classes in comprehensive schools.

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