GLENDALE—The All-Armenian Student Association and ARF Shant Student Association condemn the proposal by Minister of Education, Sport, and Culture, Arayik Harutyunyan, to eliminate the mandatory requirement for Armenian language, literature, and history in higher education. We stand in solidarity with students in Armenia in calling for the Minister’s resignation.
As students in colleges and universities, we understand the importance of obtaining a well-rounded education that is beneficial to the individual and society. It is vital that students are given the opportunity to become informed, responsible, and responsive citizens. Language, literature, and history should not be a mere repetition of high school level content. It should entail a development of analytic and research skills and foster a thorough understanding of the subject era in question.
Arayik Harutyunyan has proposed to remove Armenian language, literature, and history as required subjects in higher education. These subjects nurture a sense of national identity in students and allow them to develop and communicate as Armenian citizens. It is for this reason that the Armenian Student Association’s in the United States have consistently gone to great lengths to develop and support Armenian Studies departments within our colleges and universities. Studies in Armenian language, history, and literature have continuously enriched and empowered students within our organizations.
The Minister’s decision to eliminate the mandatory requirement for these subjects is unacceptable. Our fellow students in Armenia deserve a leader who will strive to find effective solutions to existing problems, rather than enact proposals with far-reaching consequences. Araik Harutyunyan has demonstrated that he is unable to effectively take on the demands of his position and represent the interest of students. Thus, the All-ASA and ARF Shant Student Association demand his immediate resignation.
The All-Armenian Student Association works to unite various Armenian-American college student organizations and serve the greater Armenian-American community through cultural, social, educational, and activist programming. As the largest confederation of ASAs in the nation, All-ASA is dedicated to collaboration among its constituent organizations, leadership development of its members, and community service.
The limited number of Armenian Studies Programs in American universities/colleges provide college students
(Armenian & non-Armenian) the chance to learn the Armenian language, history and culture since there are few Armenian day schools in the USA that provide these classes. Southern California is the only region of the USA that has a dozen Armenian day schools that serves maybe a total of 5,000 students in a area that has many more thousands of Armenian students who attend public schools.
Students in Armenia have learned the Armenian language, history & culture from the first day they start their education in elementary school. Armenian students in Armenia are taught all subjects in the native language of Armenia which is ARMENIAN, except for classes where they learn a foreign language such as English, Russian, French, etc.
Yes I am joining the movement to resign this Minister for serious national incompetence. No structural reform at the maternal, primary, secondary, even neo-Soviet curriculum, no democratic listening, organized, teachers’ body no exchange work and cooperation with education systems preconises by the major international institutions, UNESCO, then with professional organizations of countries with high level of pedagogical education, finally no relationship with school, educational, diaspora organizations. The success of national policies requires the quality of education in symbiosis with the world of education. Yes we must fire this minister designed by Mr Pachinian … On what criteria?