Senior classes will be added to the high school located in the village of Tziatzan, Armavir. The school has great expectations in this regard linked to the quality of education and the teaching staff. During a conversation with “Hetq”, the school principal Valerik Babayan told us that the students had taken their Armenian language, math, physics, chemistry and biology exams and that there wasn’t a marked change from last year’s grade but that a positive uptick had been noticed. The school has 334 students of which 45 will graduate this year. 14 of them took academic exams at the regional center, on a state-wide level, and received grades of 14, 15, 20 and 25 in the subjects of math and the Armenian language. Textbooks should not be a money-making enterprise “We fall within the norms. If we compare the overall level of education in the nation, a qualitative drop can be observed in all locations. The textbook problem is a contributing factor. They change from year to year. I believe that until ordinary teachers aren’t involved in the compilation of textbooks, we will be faced with this problem. It seems to me that the scientist, academician or a college instructor, isn’t capable of writing a normal textbook. I’m really critical of the Armenian history textbook. The author of the textbook is academician Barkhoudaryan and the book is more a scientific work tan a school textbook. Each chapter id filled with 40-50 geographic place names and dates. Excuse me for saying so, but I don’t even think that the respectable Barkhoudaryan himself can remember all those details. My request to those who write textbooks is that they start compiling simple ones. The mathematics textbook is also complicated. There are only 3-4 students in the classes who understand the subject. You can’t form a class on these numbers. The texts must be written in simplified language so at least 60-70% of the class understands the subject. The same holds true for geography; even the names of streams in Western Armenia are noted. It’s also difficult for teachers. I don’t want textbooks to become a business proposition. Sadly, that’s the case today. I would like to see textbooks written for actual school classes and not to enrich certain people. I don’t get it. They say that the texts are written on the basis of tenders and competitions. But after all this complaining, the author of the history texts remains the same person. It’s plain to see that the profit motive is at work here and the public be damned,” said an irate Mr. Babayan. We also spoke to Gayaneh Sayadyan, head of the Armavir Regional Administration’s Department of Education. She also agreed that the textbooks were pretty intricate and that students had a tough time understanding them. Ministry of Education disregards input of educators “We have offered our suggestions and input to the Education Ministry regarding the textbooks in all subjects and told them that the texts need to be reviewed, but nothing has happened. As a department head, I’ve been issuing my end of the year reports for the past 3-4 years. Those who formulate textbooks in all subjects from the National Institute attend these sessions. Every year our specialists raise the textbook issue but to no avail. For example, not only are the Armenian language and math texts difficult but they also stray from the subject matter. This is the reason why the grades are so low in the Armenian language academic exams,” Mrs. Sayadyan said. Valerik Babayan added that there are students at his school that fall with the national median range. Several parents also attested to the fact that the school prepares students quite adequately for the academic exams. There was a final issue that worried the principal. This year teachers will have to go through an accreditation process and he feared that many wouldn’t make the grade. Teacher accreditation is a major concern “Unfortunately we still have teachers that use the Soviet methods for class instruction. I’m not saying that the Soviet methods were bad, but times have changed and we face great difficulties in getting students to use books. It can’t be ruled out that many teachers will fail the accreditation since teachers, especially in the villages, don’t have, or take the time, to improve their skills. When a teacher faces financial problems, they put the books aside and pick up the pitchfork. They just don’t have the luxury of improving their professional skills. Those entering the profession to teach must be afforded the opportunity to do only that. Even though we have eight computers in the school, 90% of our teachers haven’t a clue how to use them. I plan to run free computer training classes for them this year. Computer literacy is mandated for accreditation and our teachers are computer illiterate,” said the principal. We asked Mr. Babayan if the teachers were really to blame if they are forced, out of economic necessity, to work in the fields rather than improving their professional skills, or if the government was to blame. “Both are at fault. If teachers were taken care of properly they wouldn’t have to work in the fields at the expense of their profession. I’d like to see well-dressed teachers who could change their attire every two days or so. Teachers are role models for students, showing them the proper way to dress, to be well manicured. These are issues that are nationwide. Teachers understand that their salaries alone cannot sustain their families so they work the land. Of course we are grateful to the government for substantially raising teachers’ salaries during the past few years. I recall that my salary in 1999 was 8,330 drams and now I’m paid close to 150,000. It affords me the chance to more or less look like the way a school principal should. I can buy a few extra shirts and such.” Principal Babayan told us that the school spent 200,000 drams on new books and reading material this year and that the students, especially in the lower grades, have actually started to read once again. He believed that kids would read if only the teachers exhorted them to do so and he blamed schools and teachers for not doing enough in this direction. The school will also be spending 200,000 on books next year. Opposition or government – Let them come and help While making our way through the school we noticed a bulletin board referring to the Republican Party of Armenia hanging outside Principal Babayan’s waiting room. We asked him if the school wasn’t being politicized as a result. “I am a member of that political party. I don’t think I’ve done anything wrong by posting the names of the leaders of the party. Our school was renovated due to their efforts. Whatever you see here in the school is the result of our dearly departed prime minster Andranik Margaryan. All the desks and chairs that the school has today were obtained during his term in office. We must appreciate the effort made. All I am interested in is that the school be properly run and maintained. I don’t care what political party does the work; the opposition or the regime. Let them come and produce results. Nothing is achieved by mere talk. I have just 3-4 years before I can retire. I want to leave a legacy here that I can be proud of and that people will remember me by,” Principal Babayan noted.