Education in Armenia

[KarotheGreat]

So my experience with the education in Armenia has not really been that substantial. Most of it is through things that I've read and not what I have experienced myself. However I have experienced one of the best educational system in the world: that of Belgium. When I was in high school I didn't really see the value of my education but today I'm so thankful for the education that I received.

When I compare Belgian and Armenian education we can see two big differences. We are disregarding the corruption right now, I will talk about it later on. So one of the biggest differences in my opinion is that in Armenia schools and teachers put emphasise on learning things by heart and not that much on creativity and thinking outside of the box. When I compare the first year of school in Armenia in Belgium there were huge differences. I was 7 years old but was already forced to learn many things by heart, I didn't know why I was doing that and what i got back from it. Before I went to school I knew how to read and write very well, thanks to the eduction I got at home. So I had to learn texts by heart for no apparent reason. If any one here is a teacher in Armenia can you please tell me why people had to learn things by heart? The problem is not that people had to learn something by heart but the amount that was needed to be known by heart.

Here in Belgium things were done differently, and in my opinion much better. The kids were treated as kids and the things we learned were "interesting" and really fun. Every day we were playing outside, I had more contact with my classmates than I did in the Armenian school. In Armenia I went to school like for 4 hours and here in Belgium it was much longer. It was something really fun and interesting. In Armenia I remember that every night I had to study for a couple of hours to get all of the homework done. And I was in the top 4 of pupils in my year, so it wasn't because I was slow or anything. Because I spent so much time studying I couldn't use the same time to be a kid and play around. And don't get me started about homework during the summer.

Education in Armenia needs to change and needs to changer very drastically and I believe Belgium can be a model for Armenia. Children need to be given more opportunity to stay kids and use their imagination more. The way classes are taught need to change as well. Right now a degree from Armenia is not worth the paper that its printed on. When the rich can just by a degree for their kids then tell me how much the degree is worth? Armenia needs to change the education system away from the soviet system to a school system that works.

[Mos]

Re: Education in Armenia

You should check out AYB school. It's new school that opened, very high quality education with great teachers, students need to take a test to get admitted, and if you don't have money for tuition you will be covered. It's not a "rich kids" school hence. The curriculum is very vast, includes all sorts of interesting subjects, foreign languages, and so forth. The campus is also very modern and nice.

http://www.aybschool.am/

This is the future for Armenian education in my view.

[KarotheGreat]

Re: Education in Armenia

You should check out AYB school. It's new school that opened, very high quality education with great teachers, students need to take a test to get admitted, and if you don't have money for tuition you will be covered. It's not a "rich kids" school hence. The curriculum is very vast, includes all sorts of interesting subjects, foreign languages, and so forth. The campus is also very modern and nice.

http://www.aybschool.am/

This is the future for Armenian education in my view.

This looks really cool and I agree we need more of this also in public education. We need to get a high level of education to as many people as possible.

[Armanen]

Re: Education in Armenia

So my experience with the education in Armenia has not really been that substantial. Most of it is through things that I've read and not what I have experienced myself. However I have experienced one of the best educational system in the world: that of Belgium. When I was in high school I didn't really see the value of my education but today I'm so thankful for the education that I received.

When I compare Belgian and Armenian education we can see two big differences. We are disregarding the corruption right now, I will talk about it later on. So one of the biggest differences in my opinion is that in Armenia schools and teachers put emphasise on learning things by heart and not that much on creativity and thinking outside of the box. When I compare the first year of school in Armenia in Belgium there were huge differences. I was 7 years old but was already forced to learn many things by heart, I didn't know why I was doing that and what i got back from it. Before I went to school I knew how to read and write very well, thanks to the eduction I got at home. So I had to learn texts by heart for no apparent reason. If any one here is a teacher in Armenia can you please tell me why people had to learn things by heart? The problem is not that people had to learn something by heart but the amount that was needed to be known by heart.

Here in Belgium things were done differently, and in my opinion much better. The kids were treated as kids and the things we learned were "interesting" and really fun. Every day we were playing outside, I had more contact with my classmates than I did in the Armenian school. In Armenia I went to school like for 4 hours and here in Belgium it was much longer. It was something really fun and interesting. In Armenia I remember that every night I had to study for a couple of hours to get all of the homework done. And I was in the top 4 of pupils in my year, so it wasn't because I was slow or anything. Because I spent so much time studying I couldn't use the same time to be a kid and play around. And don't get me started about homework during the summer.

Education in Armenia needs to change and needs to changer very drastically and I believe Belgium can be a model for Armenia. Children need to be given more opportunity to stay kids and use their imagination more. The way classes are taught need to change as well. Right now a degree from Armenia is not worth the paper that its printed on. When the rich can just by a degree for their kids then tell me how much the degree is worth? Armenia needs to change the education system away from the soviet system to a school system that works.

The system you described in Belgium is almost identical with that in the US. Yet, the US has one of the lowest if not the lowest score among OECD countries when it comes to education and graduation rates. Doing fun things in class are important, no doubt, but the rigour that Armenian schools still have is not a bad thing, it just needs to be employed in a different direction. So far, I do not know any system in the world that teaches a person how to make money and/or be successful, all teach them how to be good workers (for someone else).

[KarotheGreat]

Re: Education in Armenia

The system you described in Belgium is almost identical with that in the US. Yet, the US has one of the lowest if not the lowest score among OECD countries when it comes to education and graduation rates. Doing fun things in class are important, no doubt, but the rigour that Armenian schools still have is not a bad thing, it just needs to be employed in a different direction. So far, I do not know any system in the world that teaches a person how to make money and/or be successful, all teach them how to be good workers (for someone else).

I have only described the elementary school system now, which is more or less the same as the US but forgot to describe the secondary school system which is totally different and the drive behind the great school system together with its higher education system.

I was comparing the two first years when kids are 6-7 years old. Why do they need to know so many poems and things that totally don't interest a 7 year old. In my opinion the biggest problem we have in our education system is that we still are trying to copy the Soviet system instead of adapting much better systems around.

And being successful and an entrepreneur is something that no one can ever teach you however what schools can do is stimulate your creativity.

[Armanen]

Re: Education in Armenia

I have only described the elementary school system now, which is more or less the same as the US but forgot to describe the secondary school system which is totally different and the drive behind the great school system together with its higher education system.

I was comparing the two first years when kids are 6-7 years old. Why do they need to know so many poems and things that totally don't interest a 7 year old. In my opinion the biggest problem we have in our education system is that we still are trying to copy the Soviet system instead of adapting much better systems around.

And being successful and an entrepreneur is something that no one can ever teach you however what schools can do is stimulate your creativity.

Not true. There are ways to teach someone how to be successful, not in the sense that they will be, but at least they will have a step up in comparison to those who were taught how to be a good worker. And stimulating creativity is part of the process but it is a means to an end, not an end goal in itself.

[Armanen]

Re: Education in Armenia

I have only described the elementary school system now, which is more or less the same as the US but forgot to describe the secondary school system which is totally different and the drive behind the great school system together with its higher education system.

I was comparing the two first years when kids are 6-7 years old. Why do they need to know so many poems and things that totally don't interest a 7 year old. In my opinion the biggest problem we have in our education system is that we still are trying to copy the Soviet system instead of adapting much better systems around.

And being successful and an entrepreneur is something that no one can ever teach you however what schools can do is stimulate your creativity.

Not true. There are ways to teach someone how to be successful, not in the sense that they will be, but at least they will have a step up in comparison to those who were taught how to be a good worker. And stimulating creativity is part of the process but it is a means to an end, not an end goal in itself.

[hrai]

Re: Education in Armenia

I have only described the elementary school system now, which is more or less the same as the US but forgot to describe the secondary school system which is totally different and the drive behind the great school system together with its higher education system.

I was comparing the two first years when kids are 6-7 years old. Why do they need to know so many poems and things that totally don't interest a 7 year old. In my opinion the biggest problem we have in our education system is that we still are trying to copy the Soviet system instead of adapting much better systems around.

And being successful and an entrepreneur is something that no one can ever teach you however what schools can do is stimulate your creativity.

Sounds very nice. The real shame is that you constantly criticise Armenia and things Armenian as being something less than available in the West. I'm tired of people with no real knowledge, only hearsay, about corruption in the school systems. I was accused of having paid for my degree, that really hurt........................it was a gift from my uncle.

Perhaps you can describe Belgian secondary schools when you graduate?

[KarotheGreat]

Re: Education in Armenia

Not true. There are ways to teach someone how to be successful, not in the sense that they will be, but at least they will have a step up in comparison to those who were taught how to be a good worker. And stimulating creativity is part of the process but it is a means to an end, not an end goal in itself.

What does being successful mean? That is different for so many people. I think an good education can give you the building stones to build but after that they cannot help to implement those building stones in your life. Like you can teach a person how a company should be run but you cannot teach them how to do it themselves. That is what I meant meant that you can not teach a person to be an entrepreneur.

Ofcourse it isn't but a lack of creativity and creative thinking will hamper a person a lot for the rest of their life. People who make it are most of the time people who think outside of the box.

Sounds very nice. The real shame is that you constantly criticise Armenia and things Armenian as being something less than available in the West. I'm tired of people with no real knowledge, only hearsay, about corruption in the school systems. I was accused of having paid for my degree, that really hurt........................it was a gift from my uncle.

Perhaps you can describe Belgian secondary schools when you graduate?

And what is the problem with criticizing? Or do you think everything in Armenia is perfect and cannot be improved? I think the problem is that some people don't think criticise enough and accept everything as it is. Ofcourse the corruption is hearsay and it is not like that PWC asked me not to provide anymore Armenian candidates for the paid internship they have open. The reason they don't want candidates from Armenian is because they don't trust their degrees.

Personal attacks, is that the best you can do? Because it just shows your own level of thinking and what kind of person you really.

[Armanen]

Re: Education in Armenia

What does being successful mean? That is different for so many people. I think an good education can give you the building stones to build but after that they cannot help to implement those building stones in your life. Like you can teach a person how a company should be run but you cannot teach them how to do it themselves. That is what I meant meant that you can not teach a person to be an entrepreneur.

Ofcourse it isn't but a lack of creativity and creative thinking will hamper a person a lot for the rest of their life. People who make it are most of the time people who think outside of the box.

Do you understand the difference between being a tool/wage-slave and being financially secure? If you have the latter you are successful in most people's minds in our age and in previous times too. Schools do NOT teach pupils how to be financially secure, how to think for themselves. The creative exercises are not meant to allow people to be free thinking, that is dangerous to governments because an informed and educated citizenry is much less likely to put up with all the bs that governments in the West and in other parts regularly bathe in. Do you understand the point I am trying to make or are you just arguing for arguments sake?