Results of approbation of new state standards for general education in Tavush Marz summed up

In July 2021, RA Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport launched a pilot project on introducing new state standards for general education at the general educational establishments of Tavush Marz.

As part of the implementation of new standards, the Ayb Educational Foundation carried out qualification trainings for STEM teachers. The aim of the program was to help teachers transition to the new standards in grades 2, 5, 7 and 10 as well as to identify existing and possible problems and gaps in the learning outcomes of the new curriculum and newly developed teaching materials.

In this regard, the Ayb Educational Foundation has done a great job for about 770 STEM teachers and more than 150 representatives of the school leadership, 680 of whom received pedagogical training. In order to involve teachers in the mentoring process and prepare them as local mentors, the Foundation has trained 27 teachers. Both local and senior mentors conducted constant class observations in 78 schools of the region (respectively 147 and 435 observations). 

“Before the qualification trainings, the educational process in schools was conducted according to a teacher-oriented methodology, but with the new standards and subsequent trainings, the classes became more student-oriented. Lilit Grigoryan, teacher-mentor of maths and computer technology at the school in Ayrum.

Briefly about the pilot program on introducing new state standards for general education in Tavush Marz. Click on the image to watch the video. 

Along with qualification trainings, the Ayb Educational Foundation provided constant mentoring support throughout the academic year (376 mentoring meetings, 564 hours in total) and implemented the School Leadership Development Program in the region. The program aims to support the principals and deputyprincipals in leading the amendment process in their schools based on international experience in effective leadership, as well as to start the active use of project-based learning.

According to Mkhitar Arakelyan, principal of the school in Lchkadzor, "this new assessment system, project-based learning and the introduction of new educational standards, in general, have a positive effect not only on students but also on parents. We believe this new format will be more effective in the near future." Lusine Bejanyan (a teacher-mentor of chemistry and biology at the same school) adds: “When a child develops and implements a project on his/her own, the experience gained becomes more permanent.”

The pilot program on introducing new state standards for general education in Tavush Marz with the introduction of children. Click on the image to watch the video. 

The closing ceremony of the program took place on June 24 at UWC Dilijan College. The event was attended by principals and deputy principals of general educational establishments of Tavush Marz and by teachers of humanities, science and technology (about 500 participants in total). The closing statements were delivered by Program Manager Naira Margaryan and Executive Director of the Ayb Educational Foundation, Sona Koshetsyan.  Zhanna Andreasyan, deputy minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sport of the RA,  Frank Hess, member of the EU Delegation to Armenia, and Anush Shahverdyan, representative of the World Bank, also came to congratulate and greet the teaching community. The pilot program on introducing new state standards for general education is funded by the European Union and the World Bank as part of the EU for Innovation initiative.