No sense in foreign-language schools in Armenia

news.am, Armenia
Oct 30 2010

No sense in foreign-language schools in Armenia

October 30, 2010 | 19:15

A child graduating from a foreign-language school will not have gaps
in his knowledge of native language, Rafael Hayrapetyan, Dean of the
Journalism Department, Russian-Armenian (Slavonic) University of
Armenia, told NEWS.am. Armenian students will become increasingly
estranged from the Armenian language due to foreign-language education
system.

`Armenia has only one official language, Armenian, and primary
education must be in Armenian,’ Hayrapetyan said. He considers the
opening of specialized schools acceptable. `We have an excellent
school of mathematics at Yerevan State University, and children won
prizes at international mathematics and information science
competitions. Why not show a similar approach to foreign-language
schools?’ he asked. He pointed out that a deeper study of special
subjects is more beneficial to children than changing the language of
education.

Commenting of the tuition fees at the foreign-language schools, he
said: `If the annual tuition fee is about U.S. $20,000, the majority
of Armenia’s population cannot afford it. Those having enough money
and wishing foreign-language education for their children can send
them abroad,’ Hayrapetyan said. He added that students must learn
their native language even of they pay much less for education.

`I do not see any sense,’ Hayapetyan said.

From: A. Papazian