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Vacant seats in Armenia's higher schools: 'student crisis' or other
factors - opinions
20:08 * 25.07.14
Ashot Bleyan, Director of the Mkhitar Sebastatsi education center,
believes that 13,000 applicants for 17,000 seats in Armenia's higher
schools is evidence of a "student crisis" in Armenia.
"That is, if there were no entrance examinations this year, all the
applicants would be admitted to higher schools. When you say 4,000
seats are vacant, I say 'no, more seats are vacant.' A similar
situation was last year and the previous year. There are some
'prestigious' departments - and I am sure they are artificially
created - while we can see a student crisis in Armenia. Hardly any
people want to pay for becoming students. In this case, entrance
examinations make no sense. And there is no need for the Government or
for the Ministry of Education and Science to deal with entrance
examination," Mr Bleyan told Tert.am.
Ara Ispiryan of the Assessment and Testing Center does not account for
the lack of applicants for government-run higher schools by the higher
schools being in low demand.
"The government approves the number of seats in our higher schools
earlier than they receive applications. This is the reason why the
number of seats has been higher every year," he said.
Director of Regional College #1 Paruir Santrosyan told Tert.am that
the issue should be viewed from different aspects. According to him,
the 12-year education system caused an increase in the number of
college students at higher schools' expense.
"The demand for colleges and vocational schools - for professional
education - has been growing for the past 6-7 years. The government
policy changed, with more attention to professional education. People,
particularly parents, have changed their way of thinking as well. They
now prefer professional education, which is less expensive and even
free and does not take much time. After graduating from collages and
vocational schools, their children can start working."
http://www.tert.am/en/news/2014/07/25/crisis1/
factors - opinions
20:08 * 25.07.14
Ashot Bleyan, Director of the Mkhitar Sebastatsi education center,
believes that 13,000 applicants for 17,000 seats in Armenia's higher
schools is evidence of a "student crisis" in Armenia.
"That is, if there were no entrance examinations this year, all the
applicants would be admitted to higher schools. When you say 4,000
seats are vacant, I say 'no, more seats are vacant.' A similar
situation was last year and the previous year. There are some
'prestigious' departments - and I am sure they are artificially
created - while we can see a student crisis in Armenia. Hardly any
people want to pay for becoming students. In this case, entrance
examinations make no sense. And there is no need for the Government or
for the Ministry of Education and Science to deal with entrance
examination," Mr Bleyan told Tert.am.
Ara Ispiryan of the Assessment and Testing Center does not account for
the lack of applicants for government-run higher schools by the higher
schools being in low demand.
"The government approves the number of seats in our higher schools
earlier than they receive applications. This is the reason why the
number of seats has been higher every year," he said.
Director of Regional College #1 Paruir Santrosyan told Tert.am that
the issue should be viewed from different aspects. According to him,
the 12-year education system caused an increase in the number of
college students at higher schools' expense.
"The demand for colleges and vocational schools - for professional
education - has been growing for the past 6-7 years. The government
policy changed, with more attention to professional education. People,
particularly parents, have changed their way of thinking as well. They
now prefer professional education, which is less expensive and even
free and does not take much time. After graduating from collages and
vocational schools, their children can start working."
http://www.tert.am/en/news/2014/07/25/crisis1/