On November 2 parliamentary briefings were held in the National Assembly on the initiative of the NA Standing Committee on Science, Education, Culture and Youth on the theme “The Realization of the
Program on Introducing Information and Communication Technologies in
Comprehensive Schools.” Appropriate experts from the RA Ministry of Education and Science, directors of general schools, teachers, MPs, representatives of mass media participated in that meeting.
Chairwoman of the Committee, Mrs. Hranush Hakobyan noted that the strategy of the development of high technologies in our country might become orientated if that knowledge becomes the ownership of the student and the teacher, if it applies in different spheres of economy and science in future. Mrs. Hakobyan urged the participant experts to freely express their approaches regarding the program and writing textbooks, obtaining technical means and training of human resources.
Mr. Levon Mkrtchyan, Minister of the RA Education and Science, informed that the issue of the introduction of information and communication technologies in general schools has been debated starting 
from the first credit program, which later became the most important component of the credit program signed in 2003. In particular, the Minister highlighted the establishment of computer centers in schools, formation of movable systems. A serious cooperation was established with Project Harmony, which agreed to take care the management system and in one year, when there will be human and technological appropriate opportunities to pass that to the Center of Educational Technologies.
According to Mr. Mkrtchyan, good wishes will be put into practice only taking account the real opportunities. Thus, the introduction of the subject of informatics into school 
program must be gradual, 6-12 forms must be included. All teachers also should get computer skills.
The employees of the Center of Educational Programs made reports as well, informing that according to the program, 1500 computer educational centers should be established in the schools of the republic during 5 years. It was noted that the program on introducing information and communication technologies into general schools is already ready; works are currently done on writing textbooks on informatics.
The Head of Informatics Department of Yerevan Pedagogical University considered expedient their
participation in the program, proposing to hold training classes for teachers in Informatics Department, the representative of Teachers’ Training Center of the Polytecnical University proposed to use in schools Online educational program, created by himself, since it is connected to Internet.
The teachers on informatics suggested that the Government should take care of technical financial problems, since schools do not have relevant financial means. They expressed concern that there is no young specialists’ flow of this specialization toward schools, which will make difficult the implementation of the program as well.
Chairwoman of the NA Standing Committee on Science, Education, Culture and Youth, Mrs. Hranush Hakobyan assured that the introduction of information and communication technologies in the general schools is not purposeless. The purpose is not only on giving appropriate knowledge in this field to schoolchildren, but also it has a further perspective, conditioned by the state policy to develop high technologies in our country. There are a lot of difficulties; they are more visible after the sounded questions, which should be taken into consideration at all levels of the program implementation.
