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At March 22 regular sitting, the RA NA Standing Committee on Education, Science, Culture, Diaspora, Youth and Sport debated the report of the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport (ESCS) on the Implementation Process and Results of the Government Programme for 2020.

According to Vahram Dumanyan, 21 new elementary schools were established in a number of regions of the republic and 8 high schools were renovated in 2020.

In general, the field of general education turned into the system of general inclusive education in 8 regions and in the city of Yerevan, a three-level system on responding to the educational needs of the child and the position of a teacher’s assistant were invested.

The need assessment for the special education conditions of 2.419 students were implemented. About 7.000 students were provided with the pedagogical-psychological support services. 3 methodological manuals for teachers, pre-school pedagogues and parents were revised.

In 2020, 12 state educational standards and 20 modular programs were revised and reviewed in the field of the primary / craftsmanship / and secondary vocational education. Now, 5 long-term dual education course and 3 short-term educational programmes are experimentally implemented in 15 primary and secondary vocational educational institutions, in the framework of which 155 long-term and 61short-term training courses were implemented in cooperation with 45 private sector companies in the 2019-2020 academic year.

Existing places for 2020-2021academic year were increased by 140 places by the Government in the form of student benefits by the reimbursement of full tuition: the preference was especially given to the specialties in the sphere of natural science.

The postgraduate and doctoral scholarships were increased. The postgraduate scholarships of the students oriented on Armenian studies became 65,000 AMD from 30,000, the specialties of natural science and others became 60,000 AMD from 25,000 and the specialties of law and economics became 55,000 from 20,000. The doctoral scholarship became 65,000 AMD. Previously it was 30,000 AMD.

Vahram Dumanyan said that the Government designs to increase the funding in the field of science by 2,7bln AMD in coming days. The Minister, as a response to the question raised by Sofya Hovsepyan, answered that the funding of the Ministry was not decreased, but it was reviewed.

Vahram Dumanyan also informed that due to the coronavirus some designed programmes were held by distance learning last year, consequently some inconsistencies were emerged between the financial allocations and the implemented works. Regarding this the Minister avoided saying numbers, because the works implemented on that direction are in the process.