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The field of extracurricular education has been out of control for years, and we have a lot to do., We plan to introduce an interconnected mechanism of professional development and salary increase in the field with the amendments. This was stated by the Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sport Zhanna Andreasyan, presenting the draft law on Amendments and Addenda to the Law On Education at the regular sitting in the first reading of the National Assembly on February 9.

According to Zhanna Andreasyan, the network of extracurricular institutions was formed since the Soviet period. Currently, there are 240 schools and centers of musical arts, fine arts, children's creativity in the Republic, 50 of which are in Yerevan, 190 - in the regions. There are also 174 sports organizations, the number of beneficiary children is around 100.000.

Extracurricular educational institutions implement educational programs based on the model of the exemplary curricula approved by the Ministry, which includes the necessary substantive information. 5,099 teachers educate in musical arts, fine arts schools, creative centers, and more than 2,100 coach-educators in sports organizations. According to the Minister, the amount of their remuneration has not been changed for years, moreover, since most of the organizations are communal, their remuneration for the same work varies greatly from community to community, which is also an important issue from the viewpoint of the politics of the field. "With the proposed amendment, it is planned to give teachers working in the field an opportunity to participate in the certification, as a result of which they will receive a surcharge from the state budget. We will encourage the development of the field through the state budget," Zhanna Andreasyan said.

The decisions were made at the end of the last year and taking into consideration the urgency of the issue, parallel works were carried out at the sub-legislative level.

It is planned that the teachers of musical arts schools, as well as coach-educators, will be able to apply for the certification on a phased basis. Several directions have been chosen for the participation in the first round. In the field of arts are the teachers of piano, music theory. In the case of coach-pedagogues is freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling, as well as trainers of sambo and judo sports. 2,352 people, which make up about 30 percent of the beneficiaries, will have the opportunity to participate in the certification in the first round. Regarding the surcharge, the principle of fixed surcharges was chosen so that the government policy encourages a smooth approach.

According to the regulations, in the case of showing a result of 70 percent or more, 3 scales will be defined. In the case of 70-79% result, pedagogues will get an additional payment of 80,600 AMD (excluding taxes: 60,000 AMD), in the case of 80-89% result: an additional payment of 111,500 AMD (excluding taxes: 80,000 AMD), in the case of 90-100% result: an additional payment of 138,300 AMD (excluding taxes) 100,000 drams).

With the proposed amendments, a number of important authorizing norms will also be introduced, which will allow to regulate the issue of substantive criteria in the field, the process of guaranteeing the project, financing.

Zaruhi Batoyan, noting that when hiring specialists in these institutions, professionals are usually employed under civil law contracts, she wondered whether the additional payments will refer to everyone, regardless of the type of the contract. According to Zhanna Andreasyan, the format of the contract cannot be considered as an obstacle.

Sergey Bagratyan emphasized the issues of providing musical instruments, sports equipment, including traditional boxing in the list of sports, as well as renovating teachers' houses in border villages, noting that it will be very difficult to implement extracurricular education if the mentioned issues are not resolved. In response, Zhanna Andreasyan noted that there is a state budget program for equipping with musical instruments, and schools and centers are equipped with specific instruments every year. Last year, about 300 million AMD sports property was provided, and next year it will be possible to include all sports in the certification list.

The Chair of the Standing Committee on Science, Education, Culture, Diaspora, Youth and Sports Affairs Sisak Gabrielyan, informed in the related report that the established will be valid for at least 5 years. Emphasizing the presented amendments, Sisak Gabrielyan noted that extensive work was done.

In their speeches, the MPs raised the issue of ensuring social guarantees for pedagogues in the field, which needs legislative regulation, as well as the issue of training specialists in the field. Emphasizing the necessity for institutions implementing extracurricular educational programs, it was noted that the draft is another step in the direction of regulating the system.

In the final speech, Sisak Gabrielyan emphasized that for the first time in the last 30 years, a debate on extracurricular education is taking place in the parliament.

The draft was adopted in the first reading by voting: it will be debated by the parliament within 24 hours.