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ARMENIAN GOVERNMENT STARTS NEW CHESS PROGRAM IN SCHOOLS
My High School Journalism
April 3 2013
Tuesday, April 02, 2013 By Wes Patton
Armenia recently implemented mandatory chess lessons in public school
in order to create a better society. Armenia is the first and only
country to make the game of strategy compulsory. This new policy
seems to have paid off, as the small Caucasus nation with only three
million residents has become a chess powerhouse, creating over thirty
Grandmasters and winning the team Chess Olympiads in 2006, 2008,
and 2012. This may even be a new way to scout out young talent to
continue the legacy of impressive Chess players.
The program requires children in grades two, three, and four to
receive two hours of chess every week during school. The students
also play one-on-one games for one hour of this time. While it may
seem a little odd to require elementary-aged children to play this
game, most of the participants say they enjoy learning and playing
chess. Armenia has spent about three million dollars to supply chess
equipment learning aids in all Armenian schools. Armen Ashotyan,
Armenia's education minister, says that most of the money has been
put towards finding and producing good teachers.
"Chess develops various skills - leadership capacities,
decision-making, strategic planning, logical thinking and
responsibility," Ashotyan said. "We are building these traits in our
youngsters. The future of the world depends on such creative leaders
who have the capacity to make the right decisions, as well as the
character to take responsibility for wrong decisions."
Perhaps this new program will create a better future for Armenia and
convince education reformers around the world to incorporate similar
activities for the brain in their schools.
http://my.hsj.org/Schools/Newspaper/tabid/100/view/frontpage/articleid/589401/newspaperid/4169/Armenian_Government_Starts_New_Chess_Program_in_Sc hools.aspx
My High School Journalism
April 3 2013
Tuesday, April 02, 2013 By Wes Patton
Armenia recently implemented mandatory chess lessons in public school
in order to create a better society. Armenia is the first and only
country to make the game of strategy compulsory. This new policy
seems to have paid off, as the small Caucasus nation with only three
million residents has become a chess powerhouse, creating over thirty
Grandmasters and winning the team Chess Olympiads in 2006, 2008,
and 2012. This may even be a new way to scout out young talent to
continue the legacy of impressive Chess players.
The program requires children in grades two, three, and four to
receive two hours of chess every week during school. The students
also play one-on-one games for one hour of this time. While it may
seem a little odd to require elementary-aged children to play this
game, most of the participants say they enjoy learning and playing
chess. Armenia has spent about three million dollars to supply chess
equipment learning aids in all Armenian schools. Armen Ashotyan,
Armenia's education minister, says that most of the money has been
put towards finding and producing good teachers.
"Chess develops various skills - leadership capacities,
decision-making, strategic planning, logical thinking and
responsibility," Ashotyan said. "We are building these traits in our
youngsters. The future of the world depends on such creative leaders
who have the capacity to make the right decisions, as well as the
character to take responsibility for wrong decisions."
Perhaps this new program will create a better future for Armenia and
convince education reformers around the world to incorporate similar
activities for the brain in their schools.
http://my.hsj.org/Schools/Newspaper/tabid/100/view/frontpage/articleid/589401/newspaperid/4169/Armenian_Government_Starts_New_Chess_Program_in_Sc hools.aspx