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The credit was spent ineffectively; we have deviated from the Bologna process
September 14 2013
This is the message of the report `Higher education today in Armenia'.
This report is ordered by the `Open Society Foundations - Armenia'
office, which represents the current state of education and the
Bologna process deviations. The Executive Director of `Open Society
Foundations - Armenia' Larisa Minasyan, in the interview with `Aravot'
told that the people working on the report are wonderful professionals
in higher education and higher education reform and development
policy. As per Mrs. Minasyan's formulation, although the Foundation
has a pretty good idea of what is the reality, but the report is not
merely the subjective opinion of the Foundation. It is a situational
analysis, and a new knowledge that will be useful for both the
university and the implementers of reforms. Larisa Minasyan, referring
to the data in the report, states that there is first of all a quality
issue in the education of Armenia, and the establishment of the
National Center for Quality Assurance is mistakenly identified with
the quality. Our interlocutor notes that such a center can not serve
the purpose, because of its Chairman of the Board, the Prime Minister,
who is the Chairman of the Board of another university. `It is absurd
when you declare something independent, but your country's legislation
does not provide any form of it, on the contrary, it requires its
non-independence, obviously resetting the sense of the reform to
zero.' As per Larisa Minasyan, we should not cast blame on the donor
for all of this, who has made sufficient funds, and which was founded
on the state declared strategy. To our observation that it has been
constantly trumpeted that Armenia has assumed the Secretariat of the
Bologna process in 2012-2015, and currently is a co-chairing country,
Ms. Minasyan noted, - `There are countries that have conceded this
honor to Armenia with respect to the expenses, and we accepted it. It
is good that we have such pretensions, but should be able to raise the
benchmark. While neither we, nor the authors of the report have seen
any visible event, increase of requirements in compliance with the
benchmark. Only for the fact that the Ministers of Education will be
assembled in Armenia, or there will be an event in 2015 and just one
conference, would not change a thing, nor standards, nor quality, nor
trust.' According to Deputy Director for Programs of the `Open Society
Foundations - Armenia' David Amiryan, the report shows the higher
education system conditioned with overall situation of Armenia and
politics. He believes and it was voiced during the discussions as well
that it need to be an adequate environment for the effective execution
of the Bologna process. `It is first the the general democratic
situation of the country, democratic reforms, elections, independence
of judicial system, freedom of speech and of the press, defense of the
right to express and other rights. In the presence of these
guarantees, we can speak of Bologna productive activity.' He added
that their Foundation provided the technical part of the reform,
regulatory tools, but it turns out that the provision of formal,
documentary part of the paper is not still the reliable guarantee for
the implementation of the reform, when the course of our country is
changing, and everything that Bologna has stated, appears in the
question. The report alluded to the presence of leaders in the
university boards: politicians, members of the government; the RA
President is the Chairman of YSU Board, which is an absolute control
over the universities. Referring to the report, David Amiryan
expresses uncertainty regarding the 50% of state participation in the
management board of the universities,- `50% of the State's
participation in the management boards of universities (25% of the
members of the management board is suggested by the offering, and 25%
- by the Ministry of Education), is directly a control over the
academic, creative liberties and the university in general, while the
universities, in fact, should have been a place for manifestation and
giving birth to all liberties. As for politicized educational
councils, they are also a way to suppress the students, dungeon, where
the future party and political figure is built. The studentship should
be the most rebellion and counterbalance of other structures and
operations.' As per our interlocutor, similar situation becomes a
problem during the implementation of educational reform, while
entering any university, all regulations with respect to Bologna
process are available, everything is in its place by documents. `We
give the priority attention to quality, and the quality has not
changed. The idea of Bologna with its whole philosophy was taken and
directly adapted to our reality.' As said by David Amiryan, today many
professors are remembering the former education system with nostalgia,
rather than implementing the reform. According to him, even if all the
developed guidelines are available, psychologically we must overcome
the internal conflict. David Amiryan referring to the report,
expressed the opinion that in this case not only timing but also
inefficient waste of resources took place, and the generation, some
twenty twenty-five years later, will repay the loan provided by the
World Bank, which in fact did not serve the purpose. What solutions
can be in the situation of the deadlock? As said by David Amiryan,
even though the image is gray, but there are options that can become
subject for discussion with a wide range of public participation. `It
is important that not only the professionals get involved or express
an opinion, but a more inclusive community is formed, because the
education relates to every member of our society, and the educational
system - with a few liberties of a man. It's important to have options
that will be out of personal interests of some people, separately
taken. We need development ways and policies away from the politics,
which will have only one overriding interest, the development of the
Republic of Armenia and the society.' In his opinion, all those ways,
by which any political party may have an impact of the education
sector, should be `closed'. David Amiryan believes that there should
be no official in the management boards of universities, and the
Ministry of Education and Science should not participate in the
approval of the university's list of vocational subjects. To our
observation that there was an emphasis in the report that corruption
is perceived normally in our educational sector, the Program
Coordinator of `Higher Education and study abroad' Anna Gevorgyan said
that pursuant to the data of the Transparency International, education
is one of the most corrupt sectors in Armenia. Anna Gevorgyan said
that there is an issue of mentality here that education is a priority
in the Armenian family, and the parents for the sake of their
children's education are ready for everything. David Amiryan believes
that the situation will change if the society has a demanding approach
towards education. During our conversation, there was a referral to
the part of the report, where it is talked about non-disposition of
financial resources of the universities, independently. As said by
David Amiryan, Bologna offers a system where corruption, if not
completely disappeared, at least it will reach the minimum, but
because there is the issue of quality, which is connected to the
control, politicized situation, in this case, corruption becomes
something derivative from other phenomena. `For example, tuition fees
are raised, and I can not say anything negative against it, but I have
considerations with its form. As a result of price rise, the salary
for certain categories of university professors will rise, the others
will rise next year by 5-10 per cent. These salaries rises may not
have any effect on the quality, as long as there are no mechanisms to
regulate relations. We need to create a system that will be built on
the principle of the quality. While, for example, if Head of ANQA is
the Prime Minister, who is also the Chairman of the Council of Armenia
State Pedagogical University, and the head of the Executive
Management, this essentially changes the image. The report says that
the state has only 9-33% of participation in funding of the
university, and despite this, the universities are considered to be
public. So, he dictates an issue of academic liberation, plus the
party. And, in this case, do we want to implement reforms? Therefore,
we need to find the mechanisms, but as soon as the mechanism are
found, the quality will be provided, there will be finances and the
university will come out of control, which, in the present case, does
is not beneficial to anyone ... Bologna assumes that we should go to the
European family with our university system, have equal status and
cooperation with foreign universities, while we have a very big
problem within our country, the universities of Armenia do not
cooperate with each other,'- notes the Deputy Director for Programs of
`Open Society Foundations - Armenia'. Gohar Hakobyan `Aravot' Daily
Read more at: http://en.aravot.am/2013/09/14/161632/
© 1998 - 2013 Aravot - News from Armenia
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
September 14 2013
This is the message of the report `Higher education today in Armenia'.
This report is ordered by the `Open Society Foundations - Armenia'
office, which represents the current state of education and the
Bologna process deviations. The Executive Director of `Open Society
Foundations - Armenia' Larisa Minasyan, in the interview with `Aravot'
told that the people working on the report are wonderful professionals
in higher education and higher education reform and development
policy. As per Mrs. Minasyan's formulation, although the Foundation
has a pretty good idea of what is the reality, but the report is not
merely the subjective opinion of the Foundation. It is a situational
analysis, and a new knowledge that will be useful for both the
university and the implementers of reforms. Larisa Minasyan, referring
to the data in the report, states that there is first of all a quality
issue in the education of Armenia, and the establishment of the
National Center for Quality Assurance is mistakenly identified with
the quality. Our interlocutor notes that such a center can not serve
the purpose, because of its Chairman of the Board, the Prime Minister,
who is the Chairman of the Board of another university. `It is absurd
when you declare something independent, but your country's legislation
does not provide any form of it, on the contrary, it requires its
non-independence, obviously resetting the sense of the reform to
zero.' As per Larisa Minasyan, we should not cast blame on the donor
for all of this, who has made sufficient funds, and which was founded
on the state declared strategy. To our observation that it has been
constantly trumpeted that Armenia has assumed the Secretariat of the
Bologna process in 2012-2015, and currently is a co-chairing country,
Ms. Minasyan noted, - `There are countries that have conceded this
honor to Armenia with respect to the expenses, and we accepted it. It
is good that we have such pretensions, but should be able to raise the
benchmark. While neither we, nor the authors of the report have seen
any visible event, increase of requirements in compliance with the
benchmark. Only for the fact that the Ministers of Education will be
assembled in Armenia, or there will be an event in 2015 and just one
conference, would not change a thing, nor standards, nor quality, nor
trust.' According to Deputy Director for Programs of the `Open Society
Foundations - Armenia' David Amiryan, the report shows the higher
education system conditioned with overall situation of Armenia and
politics. He believes and it was voiced during the discussions as well
that it need to be an adequate environment for the effective execution
of the Bologna process. `It is first the the general democratic
situation of the country, democratic reforms, elections, independence
of judicial system, freedom of speech and of the press, defense of the
right to express and other rights. In the presence of these
guarantees, we can speak of Bologna productive activity.' He added
that their Foundation provided the technical part of the reform,
regulatory tools, but it turns out that the provision of formal,
documentary part of the paper is not still the reliable guarantee for
the implementation of the reform, when the course of our country is
changing, and everything that Bologna has stated, appears in the
question. The report alluded to the presence of leaders in the
university boards: politicians, members of the government; the RA
President is the Chairman of YSU Board, which is an absolute control
over the universities. Referring to the report, David Amiryan
expresses uncertainty regarding the 50% of state participation in the
management board of the universities,- `50% of the State's
participation in the management boards of universities (25% of the
members of the management board is suggested by the offering, and 25%
- by the Ministry of Education), is directly a control over the
academic, creative liberties and the university in general, while the
universities, in fact, should have been a place for manifestation and
giving birth to all liberties. As for politicized educational
councils, they are also a way to suppress the students, dungeon, where
the future party and political figure is built. The studentship should
be the most rebellion and counterbalance of other structures and
operations.' As per our interlocutor, similar situation becomes a
problem during the implementation of educational reform, while
entering any university, all regulations with respect to Bologna
process are available, everything is in its place by documents. `We
give the priority attention to quality, and the quality has not
changed. The idea of Bologna with its whole philosophy was taken and
directly adapted to our reality.' As said by David Amiryan, today many
professors are remembering the former education system with nostalgia,
rather than implementing the reform. According to him, even if all the
developed guidelines are available, psychologically we must overcome
the internal conflict. David Amiryan referring to the report,
expressed the opinion that in this case not only timing but also
inefficient waste of resources took place, and the generation, some
twenty twenty-five years later, will repay the loan provided by the
World Bank, which in fact did not serve the purpose. What solutions
can be in the situation of the deadlock? As said by David Amiryan,
even though the image is gray, but there are options that can become
subject for discussion with a wide range of public participation. `It
is important that not only the professionals get involved or express
an opinion, but a more inclusive community is formed, because the
education relates to every member of our society, and the educational
system - with a few liberties of a man. It's important to have options
that will be out of personal interests of some people, separately
taken. We need development ways and policies away from the politics,
which will have only one overriding interest, the development of the
Republic of Armenia and the society.' In his opinion, all those ways,
by which any political party may have an impact of the education
sector, should be `closed'. David Amiryan believes that there should
be no official in the management boards of universities, and the
Ministry of Education and Science should not participate in the
approval of the university's list of vocational subjects. To our
observation that there was an emphasis in the report that corruption
is perceived normally in our educational sector, the Program
Coordinator of `Higher Education and study abroad' Anna Gevorgyan said
that pursuant to the data of the Transparency International, education
is one of the most corrupt sectors in Armenia. Anna Gevorgyan said
that there is an issue of mentality here that education is a priority
in the Armenian family, and the parents for the sake of their
children's education are ready for everything. David Amiryan believes
that the situation will change if the society has a demanding approach
towards education. During our conversation, there was a referral to
the part of the report, where it is talked about non-disposition of
financial resources of the universities, independently. As said by
David Amiryan, Bologna offers a system where corruption, if not
completely disappeared, at least it will reach the minimum, but
because there is the issue of quality, which is connected to the
control, politicized situation, in this case, corruption becomes
something derivative from other phenomena. `For example, tuition fees
are raised, and I can not say anything negative against it, but I have
considerations with its form. As a result of price rise, the salary
for certain categories of university professors will rise, the others
will rise next year by 5-10 per cent. These salaries rises may not
have any effect on the quality, as long as there are no mechanisms to
regulate relations. We need to create a system that will be built on
the principle of the quality. While, for example, if Head of ANQA is
the Prime Minister, who is also the Chairman of the Council of Armenia
State Pedagogical University, and the head of the Executive
Management, this essentially changes the image. The report says that
the state has only 9-33% of participation in funding of the
university, and despite this, the universities are considered to be
public. So, he dictates an issue of academic liberation, plus the
party. And, in this case, do we want to implement reforms? Therefore,
we need to find the mechanisms, but as soon as the mechanism are
found, the quality will be provided, there will be finances and the
university will come out of control, which, in the present case, does
is not beneficial to anyone ... Bologna assumes that we should go to the
European family with our university system, have equal status and
cooperation with foreign universities, while we have a very big
problem within our country, the universities of Armenia do not
cooperate with each other,'- notes the Deputy Director for Programs of
`Open Society Foundations - Armenia'. Gohar Hakobyan `Aravot' Daily
Read more at: http://en.aravot.am/2013/09/14/161632/
© 1998 - 2013 Aravot - News from Armenia
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress