ArmInfo. There are many objective and subjective reasons why higher education suffers a qualitative decline every year. Armenian Education and Science Minister Araik Harutyunyan stated this at a meeting with rectors of Armenian universities.
According to the minister, demographic problems lead to a reduction in the number of students, which has already led to a decline in the quality of education. Most institutions supplement their budget with student contributions, which in turn also affects the quality of education. The Ministry of Education and Science has programs related to private higher education institutions, and is going to inventory all universities, especially private ones, since they are reducing the overall level of education in the country.
According to the head of the department, the state is the organizer of educational policy, and can not leave such a situation without attention. "Of course, we do not want universities to be under external interference, but they also need to think seriously about their future, so that the matter does not reach the withdrawal of licenses and closure," the minister said, emphasizing that only two non-state institutions had passed the institutional procedure of state accreditation, all pass this process.
The minister also paid special attention to the quality of the educational process in private medical universities. "In this area, we must be particularly attentive, since the problem can lead us to irreversible consequences," A. Harutyunyan stressed.
Answering the questions of the rectors, Harutyunyan noted that the competitive environment is a necessary condition for the development of higher education. "We are interested in developing and promoting private universities, because only large non-state universities can compete with state universities and give corresponding results," the minister stressed.
At the end of the meeting, an agreement was reached on the frequency of such meetings.