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ABCS OF PAP CAMPAIGNING: PROMISES AND CLAIMS DON'T NECESSARILY MATCH REALITY ON EDUCATION ISSUES
By Gayane Lazarian
ArmeniaNow
03.05.12 | 15:38
While paying campaign visits to Armenian provinces Prosperous Armenia
Party leader Gagik Tsarukyan has regularly raised science and education
issues as part of his party platform, mainly criticizing the 12-year
secondary education system.
At his Wednesday meeting with voters in Ashtarak, Aragatsotn province,
Tsarukyan said he believes that children waste the extra years (until
a few years ago, Armenia had a 10-year system), after which boys are
immediately conscripted without a chance to enter higher educational
institutions.
"The United States is now using our previous educational system, but
we are using the Bologna program, which is wrong," Tsarukyan says. (It
isn't quite clear what Tsarukyan was referring to in this claim as,
in fact, the present Armenian education system is based on the model
of the U.S. system.)
PAP has been among the rare political forces to have covered the
issue in its campaign.
"The strategic purpose of the state policy in this sphere must be
creation of equal opportunity system providing quality knowledge and
skills that are currently in demand; it should also guarantee adequate
positions for educated citizens in our society," PAP's platform reads,
with no reference, however, to the 12-year system.
Armen Badalyan, specialist in election technologies, says campaign
platforms and candidate vows do not necessarily match and it's
natural. Tsarukyan is telling his voters his personal approach to
the current education system and making vows independently.
"This is an acceptable means all over the world, when party leaders
or presidential candidates give many promises during their election
campaigns in order to get as many votes as possible," Badalyan says.
"Had everybody kept their promises, life would be perfect."
Since 2006 secondary schools in Armenia have switched from 10-year
to 12-year educational system. The new system has been practiced for
six years, but it is still often criticized. The opponents say that
the 10-year educational system was well-established, fully developed
and successfully practiced.
The current educational system consists of four years of elementary
school, five years of middle school and three years of high school.
By Gayane Lazarian
ArmeniaNow
03.05.12 | 15:38
While paying campaign visits to Armenian provinces Prosperous Armenia
Party leader Gagik Tsarukyan has regularly raised science and education
issues as part of his party platform, mainly criticizing the 12-year
secondary education system.
At his Wednesday meeting with voters in Ashtarak, Aragatsotn province,
Tsarukyan said he believes that children waste the extra years (until
a few years ago, Armenia had a 10-year system), after which boys are
immediately conscripted without a chance to enter higher educational
institutions.
"The United States is now using our previous educational system, but
we are using the Bologna program, which is wrong," Tsarukyan says. (It
isn't quite clear what Tsarukyan was referring to in this claim as,
in fact, the present Armenian education system is based on the model
of the U.S. system.)
PAP has been among the rare political forces to have covered the
issue in its campaign.
"The strategic purpose of the state policy in this sphere must be
creation of equal opportunity system providing quality knowledge and
skills that are currently in demand; it should also guarantee adequate
positions for educated citizens in our society," PAP's platform reads,
with no reference, however, to the 12-year system.
Armen Badalyan, specialist in election technologies, says campaign
platforms and candidate vows do not necessarily match and it's
natural. Tsarukyan is telling his voters his personal approach to
the current education system and making vows independently.
"This is an acceptable means all over the world, when party leaders
or presidential candidates give many promises during their election
campaigns in order to get as many votes as possible," Badalyan says.
"Had everybody kept their promises, life would be perfect."
Since 2006 secondary schools in Armenia have switched from 10-year
to 12-year educational system. The new system has been practiced for
six years, but it is still often criticized. The opponents say that
the 10-year educational system was well-established, fully developed
and successfully practiced.
The current educational system consists of four years of elementary
school, five years of middle school and three years of high school.