12 years ago, according to the Law on Public Education, the state established a requirement for teachers to have higher education. A certain period of time was given for teachers to receive higher education. Many teachers have taken advantage of this opportunity. However, studies have shown that more than 1.300 teachers have not received higher education, and today they teach in schools with secondary professional education.
This was stated by the Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sport Zhanna Andreasyan at the NA extraordinary session convened on June 26 during the debate of the draft law on Making Amendments and Addenda to the Law on Public Education in the first reading.
“These persons will no longer be able to work in schools starting from August 20 of this year,” the Minister said and added that it is proposed to give these teachers an opportunity so that they can take part in the voluntary certification process. If, as a result of the voluntary certification, the given teacher scores 60% or more, they will be given the opportunity to continue teaching. According to the Minister, many teachers were not able to get higher education based on objective reasons.
The draft also proposes other amendments aimed at strengthening the reforms implemented in the sector.
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In particular, it is proposed to expand the opportunity of teachers’ business trips, as well as to define that students studying in the educational programme to obtain a teacher’s qualification will have the opportunity to teach in rural schools in the last year of their education. It is about the rural communities where the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport will consider appropriate to send the student.
The deputy of the NA Civil Contract Faction Zaruhi Batoyan asked whether the teachers with secondary professional education, if they successfully pass the voluntary certification, will only have the opportunity to continue their work, or their salary will increase as well. The Minister explained that the same policy of encouragement will apply to those teachers who have successfully passed the voluntary certification. “In other words, in case of getting 70% and more, their rate will become 200 thousand AMD, and then, depending on the result, a 30-50% surcharge will be applied. It has nothing to do with the fact that the teachers have secondary professional education,” she said.
Zhanna Andreasyan clarified that the voluntary certification is considered to be passed if 60% is received, and the encouragement policy starts to work if at least 70% is received.
The NA deputy of the Civil Contract Faction Hovik Aghazaryan also inquired what would happen if those teachers could not pass the voluntary certification, how would those vacant positions be filled?
In response, the Minister stated that there were about 700 teachers who applied for voluntary certification, but failed it. Trainings are scheduled for those teachers, and after that they will be recertified in the autumn. It was noted that 650 teachers have already been trained at this stage. According to the Minister, the objective of the Ministry is to have qualified teachers.
The National Assembly adopted the draft law in the first reading.
National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia
