ArmInfo. As a result of the Round Table, an agreement was reached between students protesting against the cancellation of the deferment from military service for students of universities, the Armenian government deputies and Cabinet members on the creation of a working group to discuss student proposals.
During the round table, the students, in particular, offered to launch a new program that would allow students of universities in parallel with the bachelor's program to complete military service for two and a half months at intervals. Representatives of the legislative and executive authorities promised to discuss all the proposals within the working group, which will deal with the development of bylaws emanating from the law "On the Status of Servicemen and Military Service." According to the members of the government and deputies, it is quite possible that the students' proposals will be reflected in these by-laws.
The next meeting of students with government officials will take place in two weeks. The main emphasis of students insisting on the continuity of higher and postgraduate education was put on the fact that, according to statistics, the number of young people who after the army go to science is significantly inferior to the number of scientists who had the opportunity to engage in their professional activities continuously, from lessons.
Artak Zakaryan agreed with the argument, emphasizing that if the government, after implementing the new system, feels such a danger, the situation will be settled by the relevant decisions of the government.
The next defect of the law, pointed out by students, and which could not be repelled by Cabinet members, is that the new law does not create equal conditions for conscripts of all professions who wish to engage in science while serving in the army. For example, if students who are proficient in the field of high technologies and natural sciences can, to a certain extent, engage in these sciences within the service in the Armed Forces, then let's say the same philosophers, historians, geographers are unlikely to apply their knowledge and develop them within the army service . The Deputy Minister of Defense agreed with this, noting that the state gives priority to those sciences that are more needed at the moment.
It should be noted that the law "On the Status of Servicemen and Military Service" Provides for the complete cancellation of the postponement of the army for all categories young people who are fit for physical and mental health for service in the army. This caused a protest from Armenian students, who believe that the new law will hit hard on the system and the quality of education of the country. The members of the Cabinet and the ruling Republican Party do not agree with this. After the protest actions of the students, the authorities made a concession and proposed to hold a round table with the participation of the Vice Speaker of the Parliament Eduard Sharmazanov, the heads of the relevant parliamentary commissions, the Deputy Minister of Defense Artak Zakaryan, the Minister of Education and Science Levon Mkrtchyan and the students to discuss the proposals that the latter offer as by-laws.