Excerpts from an interview with the Minister of Education and Science The National Assembly held discussions on proposed changes to the laws on language and school education.  When Minister of Education and Science Armen Ashotyan emerged from the session, protesters against the proposed changes greeted him with whistles and catcalls.  Armen Ashotyan answered a few of the questions posed to him by reporters at the scene. Do you think the proposed changes will be adopted after the first reading, Mr. Ashotyan? I am certain that they will be adopted because three coalition groups presented their views today and we can accommodate those opinions.  In this situation, we have a political majority that approves of the proposed changes. Have you taken into account the opinions of people opposed to these changes? Of course I have.  I have also met with a large number of people – bloggers, intellectuals, teachers and others.  The Prime Minister has held discussions as well; he has met with a number of youth groups. Do you feel bad psychologically with all these protests, the catcalls and whistles? Well, I have to say that it's not the most pleasant thing to endure.  But I leave it to the conscience of the people involved because there is a time to throw stones but there is also a time to gather stones together. Mr. Ashotyan, a large number of Armenian experts are saying that this can cause the assimilation of a part of the nation. It has not caused the assimilation of any nation in the past.  This is especially true for a nation, two-thirds of which lives abroad and not in its Motherland, two-thirds of which does not study in Armenian schools.  Fears of assimilation should be centered on other cultural issues; there are tendencies of the expansion of cultures at a large scale such that this issue of education is not one of concern at all in this area. Is it not possible to give those schools legal status without using the phrase "with the exception of" in the proposed changes? Based on the legal assessment that we have done, it is unfortunately not possible.  However, I have proposed to the Heritage party and the ARF that if they have other legal options to put on the table, they should come forward.  If you have a solution, please let us know. How many hours of foreign language classes will be taught in these foreign language schools? They will have more hours than the Armenian schools, but the number of hours dedicated to Armenian language, literature, Armenian history and history of the Church will be the same as in the Armenian schools.  This has been consolidated in the proposed law, such that 33-37% of their education will consist of lessons in Armenian. Is it possible that a Turkish language school would open through these changes? No, it is not.  We are talking about international standards and international schools.  There is one chain of Turkish schools that operates in Central Asia, Arab and some CIS countries.  Naturally, the Ministry would not allow this school to begin operating in Armenia. If foreign language schools are allowed to operate in Armenia, would it increase the public's demand for high level education? Weren't similar changes made to the law in 1995? In 1995, the law was changed to allow three universities in the country to teach using a foreign language.  Fifteen years have gone by since then.  Are graduates from the French University of Armenia, the Slavonic University and the American University of a low level?  We are proposing the same for schools.  In 1995, I was a third year student of medicine. It would have been better if you had stayed in medicine and not come to this area of work. Let me say that I agree with you.  It would have been better for me to become a doctor than do this ungrateful work. What is stopping us from having Armenian schools of good quality?  Using the mother tongue, one can teach tens of other languages in schools.  Do that and we will be grateful. I assume you know more about the sphere of education than I do.  Write me a 2-page proposal outlining your suggestions for changes that we can make quickly and easily.  Send it to the Ministry.  I promise that we will discuss them all together.