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At least four educational institutions of Armenia will be included in the list of the international best 500 universities until 2030. Up to 8 higher educational institutions with 100 percent state financing will be created, not excluding the possibility of paid tuition: the Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sports Vahram Dumanyan noted at the NA regular sitting convened on October 4, presenting the draft law on Approving the State Program of Education Development of the RA Until 2030.

The previous State Program of Education Development was adopted in 2011, and was in force until 2015. Three strategic directions are established with the new program: first – creation of the educational environment of the general inclusive study centre in the whole territory of the Republic of Armenia, second – rise of the education efficiency, which will provide maximum optimal and result-based distribution of the resource, third – internalization and export of the educational services and the product, profitably converting the role of Armenia in the global educational system.

The important conceptual provisions of the document are related to the provision of accessible and affordable educational institutions, the involvement of all children entering school in at least one-year pre-school programs, the operation of manger services in all extended communities, the decent furnishing of the schools and having modern equipment, the improvement of the building conditions and infrastructures, the furnishing of the digital, scientific, technologies, engineering, mathematics laboratories and other ones, libraries in an innovative style.

It is designed that in the upcoming 8 years the number of the students studying in the higher educational institutions will at least be doubled. According to the Minister, the rise of the education quality is on the basis of the document and making it internationally competitive.

The RA NA deputy Hovik Aghazaryan inquired the Minister if in the developed countries after finishing the school the young people are called up to the army, too. The minister noted that he cannot answer to the question completely: there are countries where they are called up, and there are countries, where they are not called up. He underlined that the sphere of the Ministry led by him does not regulate that issue.