“During the 25 years of my pedagogical experience I have participated in numerous training programs, but I am overly happy that in probably the final stage of my pedagogic path I had the chance to be part of such a development program.”
Kima Ohanesyan, chemistry teacher from Vayk High School, was one of the 97 teachers from Armenia and Artsakh that were certified as Araratian Baccalaureate teachers on June 27.
In March 2017, 300 brave teachers applied to the Araratian Baccalaureate Teacher Professional Development Program, took the subject training and participated in an interview. Only 110 of them overcame the admission stage and were then involved in the 1-year professional development program delivered free of charge.
“In the last year, we saw teachers that were not afraid to take the risk, overcame all admission stages and participated in a program that was a totally new culture of adult education in Armenia. They learned to be brave, open to collaboration and learned to learn from each other. I am very happy and proud of you,” said Hasmik Kyureghyan, Head of the Araratian Baccalaureate Teacher Professional Development and Certification Department, in her opening speech.
Dr. Jacek Brant, Senior Lecturer at the University College London (UCL) Institute of Education (IoE), and Fr. Mesrop Aramian, Director of the National Program for Educational Excellence, also addressed the event.
“It is a pleasure to be with you and I have come to Yerevan to celebrate your success. What we have achieved together over the last year is remarkable. There is an Armenian saying “ջրի բերածը ջուրը կտանի” (Easy come, easy go), but in our case it is not the case as no one can take away our success or our learning,” said Dr. Jacek Brant.
Dr. Brant’s speech was then followed by the solemn ceremony of handing over the certificates to the participants. The certificates were awarded by Mary Mamikonyan, the acting Executive Director of the Ayb Educational Foundation.
“Teaching is a profession that requires a serious development program, because the future is in the hands of teachers. Teachers should give wings to new generations,” concluded Fr. Mesrop Aramian.
About Araratian Baccalaureate Teacher Professional Development and Certification Program
The Araratian Baccalaureate Teacher Professional Development Program is a new and one-year development program meeting international standards. The program consists of theoretical and practical courses and is designed for both existing and budding teachers.
Participation in the program is mandatory for all teachers and specialists wishing to teach the Araratian Baccalaureate.
The first phase of the program is delivered through face-to-face and online learning, and the second part is a probation period, when participants teach, testing the skills and knowledge they acquired during the program, and collaborate with their mentors.
Throughout the program, all participants create a portfolio, the most significant component of which is the practitioner’s inquiry. The portfolio is aimed at gathering the testimonies of the participants’ work and evaluating their progress in compliance with the AB teacher standards. The final evaluation and certification is done based on the portfolio.
The Araratian Baccalaureate Teacher Professional Development and Certification Program has been developed within the framework of the National Program for Educational Excellence, by the Ayb Educational Foundation, in collaboration with the University College London (UCL) Institute of Education (IoE).
Within the framework of the international recognition of the Araratian Baccalaureate (AB), from May 2 to 4, at the invitation of New York University (NYU) Abu Dhabi, AB Recognitions Specialist Ruzanna Mayilyan took part in the Annual International Forum on Global Education.
The NYU Abu Dhabi Forum on Global Education is a professional development event designed not only to help discover the global opportunities provided by NYU Abu Dhabi, but also to give a chance to become more familiar with the organizations of guests attending the forum and explore ways to collaborate.
25 specialists from 24 countries participated in the forum. They not only attended various workshops (Global Education Challenges and Opportunities, Fostering Innovation and Entrepreneurship) but also had meetings with the university students and professors, getting acquainted with the vision and history of NYU Abu Dhabi, curriculum and faculties, the technical equipment and dormitories, etc.
AB Recognitions Specialist Ruzanna Mayilyan presented the Ayb Educational Foundation’s education programs, particularly, the internationally recognized Araratian Baccalaureate Armenian-language qualification—which is today comparable to UK GCE A Level and US Advanced Placement— as well as the opportunities and advantages the qualification grants to students.
“Works aimed at the recognition of the AB qualification are already underway with the NYU Abu Dhabi, and we hope that starting next year, the AB students will be able to apply directly and get admitted to the university based on their exam results,” said Ruzanna Mayilyan, adding that the university has a strict admission process and selects high-performing students.
“The university not only offers high-quality education, but also provides up to 100% scholarships to admitted students, which will be an excellent opportunity for our students to get top quality education and after returning to their motherland, use the gained skills and knowledge for the sake of the development and prosperity of our country,” said Ruzanna Mayilyan.
About the NYU Abu Dhabi
NYU Abu Dhabi welcomed its inaugural class in 2010. It was established in partnership with NYU and the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and was founded upon a shared understanding of the essential roles and challenges of higher education in the 21st century.
About the Araratian Baccalaureate
The Araratian Baccalaureate (AB) is an internationally recognized Armenian-language educational program designed by the Ayb Educational Foundation and further improved within the framework of the National Program for Educational Excellence (NPEE).
The first schools (in Armenia and Artsakh) to offer the AB program are expected to welcome their first AB students on September 1, 2018.
The program is carried out along with the Ministry of Education and Science in collaboration with Cambridge Assessment International Education (CAIE) and the University College London (UCL) Institute of Education (IOE).
One of top universities in the world, King’s Colle London, has also confirmed the high quality of education the Araratian Baccalaureate offers. The Araratian Baccalaureate has been added among the qualifications that are accepted for direct entry to undergraduate programs at King's.
Through the Araratian Baccalaureate Armenia is today among countries such as Finland, Singapore, Germany, and Estonia, the general education programs and exams of which also provide direct entry to King’s College London.
About King’s College London
Kings College London was founded in 1829. It is one of the top 25 universities in the world (2016-18 QS International World Rankings). King’s has over 29,600 students (including more than 11,700 postgraduates) from some 150 countries.
About the Araratian Baccalaureate
The Araratian Baccalaureate (AB) is an internationally recognized Armenian-language educational program designed by the Ayb Educational Foundation and further improved within the framework of the National Program for Educational Excellence (NPEE). It is to provide competitive school education for all schoolchildren in Armenia. The program will be offered along with the state program, granting students broader opportunities for the high school educational program and ensuring local and international recognition of their education, graduation marks, and diplomas.
The first schools (in Armenia and Artsakh) to offer the AB program are expected to welcome their first AB students on September 1, 2018.
The program is carried out along with the Ministry of Education and Science in collaboration with Cambridge Assessment International Education (CAIE) and the University College London (UCL) Institute of Education (IOE).
The 2017-2018 cycle of the Araratian Baccalaureate Teacher Professional Development Program has entered the final stage.
From March 26 to 29, participants presented their professional inquiries, which they had conducted in the classrooms by applying in practice the new knowledge, skills and teaching methods they had acquired during the program.
“Around three months of teacher selection, 10 months of active learning, over 30 journal clubs, three face-to- face sessions, continuous testing of acquired skills and classroom inquiries and four days of presentation of professional inquiries and subject training for all 103 participants of the program: the 2017-2018 cycle is coming to its end, but this is just the beginning,” said Hasmik Kyureghyan, Head of the Araratian Baccalaureate Teacher Professional Development Program.
The topics of the professional inquiries were diverse: “Impact of Differentiated Instruction on Encouraging General and Individual Learning,” “Improving Students’ Motivation through Collaborative Learning,” “Formative Assessment as a Tool to Increase Students’ Motivation,” etc.
“This program served as a stimulus for self-development, and my inquiry helped me know better both my students’ and my possibilities. I hope all this will be ongoing,” said Aida Kerobyan, participant from Gyumri High School No. 1.
To attend the presentations of the professional inquiries, five leading specialists from the University College London (UCL) Institute of Education (IoE) were in Yerevan in the period of March 26-29; apart from being present at the presentations, four of the specialists also held subject training sessions for all the participants. Thus, from March 26 to 29 Armenia hosted the following specialists from the UCL IoE:
Dr. Jacek Brant, who watched the entire process of presenting the professional inquiries to evaluate the program progress and results;
Dr. John Yandel, who conducted subject training for Armenian language and literature teachers and specialists;
Jennie Golding, who conducted subject training for mathematics teachers and specialists;
Dr. Arthur Chapman, who conducted subject training for history teachers and specialists;
Dr. Mark Hardman, who conducted subject training for teachers and specialists of sciences.
Deputy Minister of Ministry of Education and Science of Armenia Davit Sahakyan as well as Head of the Preschool and Secondary Education Department Susanna Azatyan and Head of the Legal Department of the Staff Lusine Grigoryan were also present at the presentations.
The certification of the program participants is scheduled for summer this year.
About the Araratian Baccalaureate Professional Teacher Development Program
The Araratian Baccalaureate Professional Teacher Development Program is a new teacher development program meeting international standards. It is designed for 10-11 months and comprises theoretical and practical courses. Participation in the program is mandatory for all teachers and specialists wishing to teach the Araratian Baccalaureate.
The program has been developed within the framework of the National Program for Educational Excellence by the Ayb Educational Foundation, in collaboration with the University College London (UCL) Institute of Education.
The Ayb Educational Foundation has the following vacancy:
Click on the relevant link to learn the details.
Within the framework of their partnership, on February 27, the Ayb Educational Foundation and the Children of Armenia Fund, held a meeting-seminar for the representatives of 21 Araratian Baccalaureate (AB) candidate schools, which was aimed at raising the role of school psychologists and boosting career counseling activities in schools. The seminar took place in Ayb School, Yerevan.
Around 40 participants, including school principals, vice-principals, psychologists and teachers, participated in the seminar.
The meeting was conducted by psychologists and career counseling specialists from Ayb School, the Ayb Educational Foundation, and the Children of Armenia Fund.
The first part of the seminar focused on the role and functions of the school psychologist, during which Ayb School psychologists presented the main goal of the school psychologist's area of work and shared their experience of working with students of different ages, with their parents and teachers.
The psychologist from the Children of Armenia Fund presented their practice in expanding the role of the school psychologist.
In the second part, specialists from the Ayb Foundation and the Children of Armenia Fund presented career counseling activities in schools along with a detailed insight into the areas of work with students, and their practice to this end.
The partnership between the two foundations will be ongoing. Next up are the practical meetings with psychologists, which are scheduled for spring.
The Ayb Educational Foundation has joined efforts with the University College London (UCL) Institute of Education (IoE) in developing the Araratian Baccalaureate (AB) School Leadership Development Program. The program, which is unheard of in Armenia, will be launched this May.
On this occasion, we talked to the UCL IoE’s International Leadership Development Program Director Jonathan Dale to form the picture of an effective principal and see what the development program will focus on, and how Armenian principals and assistant principals will benefit from it.
- Mr. Dale, what do you think is the biggest challenge schools face today?
- I would single out two main challenges. The first refers to teacher recruitment. Across the world, one of the biggest challenges for schools is to recruit the next generation of teachers, because it is beyond doubt that the quality of outcomes for school student is linked to the quality of teaching. And the second biggest challenge, in my opinion, is educating students for a changing world, including globalization and the role of technology in changing the job market.
-What would be the ideal school environment, and what role do school principals play in it?
- The ideal school environment will be responsive to the local context and have strong links with the local community, including parents. The school should offer a stimulating curriculum that equips students for the future and also provide a safe environment for children to develop both academically and socially.
I believe the role of the principal is vital in it, and it is important for the principal to concentrate their time on the leadership of teaching and learning with a clear focus on developing teachers in order to achieve the highest possible pupil outcomes.
- Mr. Dale, which are the three traits a school leader should possess?
- The main three traits would be dedication, commitment and willingness. First, school principals should have dedication and passion for educating children and young adults, ideally with experience of teaching. Second, they should have a commitment to improving the quality of education both within their area (such as head of subject) and across the whole school. And third, they should have a willingness to develop and support teachers within the school.
- Presently, the UCL Institute of Education is collaborating with the Ayb Educational Foundation to elaborate the AB School Leadership Development Program. What does the program envisage, what will it focus on?
- UCL are delighted to be working with the Ayb Educational Foundation. We are hugely impressed with the ambition of Armenia in introducing a new curriculum which responds to the expectations of modern students and the socioeconomic needs of Armenia in the future.
UCL’s work is focused on school leadership and we are working with Ayb to design a leadership development program that will support school principals across Armenia. The program will be targeted at principals and assistant principals from the AB candidate schools. UCL’s work will be completed in 2020, but we are hoping that leadership development will continue for many years after that.
- How will Armenian principals and assistant principals benefit from the Araratian Baccalaureate School Leadership Development Program?
- They will understand the importance of their role as the leader of the school. Specifically, they will have the opportunity to review the international research on highly effective school principals and consider how to apply that within the Armenian context. The School Leadership Program will include: Developing a whole school vision; Leading and Managing Teaching and Learning; Leading Change, and Developing Personal Leadership and Management Skills.
In many ways the program will be about shifting the role of school principal away from a role that prioritizes administrative responsibilities to a role that is focused on the quality of teaching and outcomes for the children.
- Is there any motto or philosophy of leadership that every principal should adhere to?
- Truthfully, all schools have differences and all principals will have different approaches. However, one thing that should unite all of them is that they need to be concerned with supporting all the students in their schools to achieve the highest possible outcomes. Children only get one life chance to attend school, and it’s vital that they are supported to achieve their full potential. Perhaps a good motto for all principals, regardless of their particular situation, would be: “No child left behind.”
- Mr. Dale, what would be your advice to principals in Armenia?
- Being a principal has to be one of the most important jobs in the world. At the same time it can often seem hugely demanding and relentless. The best advice would be to build a strong leadership team so that the leadership role can be shared with others across the school. And learning how to delegate leadership is an important part of the Leadership Program. It’s also important to have the opportunity to build networks with other principals and share experiences and solutions.
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On February 18, the applicants of the Araratian Baccalaureate Teacher Professional Development and Certification Program took a centralized subject test in Yerevan and Vanadzor.
In total, 226 teacher specialists from Armenia and Artsakh took the two-hour test in eight subjects: Armenian language and literature, Armenian history, chemistry, physics, biology, English, and Russian.
“Professional development never ends; it guarantees the enhancement of a specialist’s skills and knowledge. Professional development is especially critical to teachers as well as specialists wishing to become teachers since they are the ones that educate individuals and citizens, thus shaping our society of tomorrow. The Araratian Baccalaureate grants unique opportunities for professional development, and we are delighted to see growing enthusiasm among teachers toward professional development,” said Hasmik Kyureghyan, Head of the AB Teacher Professional Development Program.
The test results will be summarized on March 6, and notifications will be sent to all participants, irrespective of whether they successfully passed the test, or not. All applicants that will overcome the exam will be invited for an individual interview, which will be held from March 12 to 30.
We would like to extend our gratitude to Head of Ayb School Aram Pakhchanian and Director of Enterprise Incubator Foundation Bagrat Yengibaryan for having their input in the successful implementation of the program and granting us the chance to hold the subject tests in Ayb School and Vanadzor Technology Center, respectively, for the second year in a row.
About the Araratian Baccalaureate Professional Teacher Development Program
The Araratian Baccalaureate Professional Teacher Development Program is a new teacher development program meeting international standards. It is designed for 10-11 months and comprises theoretical and practical courses. Participation in the program is mandatory for all teachers and specialists wishing to teach the Araratian Baccalaureate. The program has been developed within the framework of the National Program for Educational Excellence by the Ayb Educational Foundation, in collaboration with the University College London (UCL) Institute of Education.
Тhe 103 participants of the Araratian Baccalaureate Teacher Professional Development and Certification Program still continue their training.
They have already completed the main phase of the face-to-face and online learning and have entered the probation phase during which they will teach, testing the knowledge and skills they acquired during the program, conduct a research work. and cooperate with their mentor-advisor.
From January 22 to February 2, the senior expert-trainers of the AB Teacher Professional Development and Certification Program traveled to all regions in Armenia and to Stepanakert to observe the lessons of the 103 program participants in order to see how skillfully and effectively participants were employing the skills and knowledge they had obtained, as well as to guide and assist them in improving their teaching.
“Lesson observations granted the chance to see the program in practice, observe radical shifts in teachers’ mindset, and feel the volume of changes that are taking place before our eyes thanks to the efforts of the program participants. The lesson observations reinforced my confidence in that we are on the right track,” said program expert-trainer Lilit Minasyan.
It should be recalled that the AB Teacher Professional Development and Certification Program is a new teacher development program meeting international standards. It is designed for 10-11 months and comprises theoretical and practical courses. Participation in the program is mandatory for all teachers and specialists wishing to teach the Araratian Baccalaureate.
From the very start of the program to the very end, all participants collect a portfolio, the most important component of which is the practitioner enquiry, which participants conduct during the probation phase. The portfolio serves as the basis for their final assessment and certification.
Participants are expected to present their research works at the end of March, and the ones that successfully complete the program are expected to be certified this June.
On February 1, the new call for applications for participation in the Araratian Baccalaureate (AB) Teacher Professional Development and Certification program completed. The new call was opened on December 3, 2017.
256 specialist teachers from Armenia and Artsakh filled in the application form. This time, teachers and specialists of eight subjects were eligible to apply: Armenian language and literature, Armenian history, physics, chemistry, mathematics, biology, chemistry, English, and Russian.
The admission into the program comprises three main subphases, which include the submission of the application form, the subject test, and the interview.
“Presently we are studying the submitted applications. After that, all applicants meeting the requirements of the first admission subphase will be invited for the subject test, which will be held on February 18 in two places – Yerevan and Vanadzor,” said Hasmik Kyureghyan, Head of the AB Teacher Professional Development and Certification Department, adding that all applicants will be notified about the results of the subject tests, and the ones that will successfully pass them will be invited for an interview, which is expected to be held from March 12 to 30.
About the Araratian Baccalaureate Professional Teacher Development Program
The Araratian Baccalaureate Professional Teacher Development Program is a new teacher development program meeting international standards. It is designed for 10-11 months and comprises theoretical and practical courses. Participation in the program is mandatory for all teachers and specialists wishing to teach the Araratian Baccalaureate. The program has been developed within the framework of the National Program for Educational Excellence by the Ayb Educational Foundation, in collaboration with the University College London (UCL) Institute of Education.
The development of the Araratian Baccalaureate School Leadership Professional Development and Certification Program is underway. It comprises a series of theoretical and practical courses designed for up to one year and delivered for free. The program is aimed at developing the knowledge, skills and abilities of AB school principals and vice-principals and introducing them to the 21st-century school management approaches.
The program is being developed by the Ayb Educational Foundation in collaboration with the University College London (UCL) Institute of Education (IoE).
On January 22-23, the team of the Araratian Baccalaureate School Development and Coordination Department was in Great Britain to meet with leading school leadership development specialists from the UCL Institute of Education.
The meetings focused on the program content, goals and leadership development areas, which mostly referred to the elaboration of vision and strategy for improving schools, management of systemic changes, establishment of collaboration with the parents and community, etc.
“Within the framework of the implementation of the Araratian Baccalaureate program in schools, we are creating a new school network and teacher community, setting higher requirements and standards for teaching, learning and physical environment, and schools should be part of this new reality. The Araratian Baccalaureate School Leadership Professional Development and Certification Program aims to shape effective school heads that will act as leaders and be committed to continuous development,” said Sona Koshetsyan, Executive Director at the Ayb Educational Foundation who is also the head of the Araratian Baccalaureate School Development and Coordination Department.
The program development is expected to be completed in the spring of 2018. It will officially kick off this May.
Today the new phase of involvement in the Araratian Baccalaureate Professional Teacher Development Program is kicking off. The deadline to submit applications is February 1.
The Araratian Baccalaureate Professional Teacher Development Program is a new teacher development program meeting international standards. It is designed for 10-11 months and comprises theoretical and practical courses. Participation in the program is mandatory for all teachers and specialists wishing to teach the Araratian Baccalaureate.
The program is conducted through face-to-face and online learning. From the very start of the program to the very end, all participants collect a portfolio and conduct a research work, which serves as a basis for their final assessment and certification.
To participate in the program, please visit here to fill in the application form. The stages and steps required for joining the program are available here.
Those people are eligible to apply who:
• have relevant qualification in pedagogy (Bachelors, Masters, diploma (for five-year higher education)) or at least five years’ pedagogical work experience in the past ten years and teach / want to teach one of the following subjects: physics, chemistry, mathematics, biology, Armenian history, Armenian language and literature, Russian and English;
• study in the last course of their Masters program and specialize in one the above-mentioned subjects, with the possibility to obtain pedagogical qualification.
The selection of the teachers will be done on a competitive basis and the priority will be given to teachers from AB candidate schools. Afterwards, the selection priority “curve” will go down to teachers from schools located close to AB candidate schools, regions where AB candidate schools are located, regions neighboring AB candidate schools, and Yerevan. Applicants from Yerevan can participate in the selection stages only if they are willing to work in AB schools in Armenian regions and Artsakh. In case of equal conditions, preference will be given to applicants form regions.
Participation in the program is free of charge for all participants.
Complete guides to prepare for subject tests:
Armenian language and literature
Armenian history
Chemistry
Physics
Biology
Mathematics
English
Russian
The Ayb Educational Foundation and the Children of Armenia Fund (COAF) today signed a memorandum of understanding within the framework of projects carried out by them.
The two foundations will collaborate within the framework of the internationally recognized Araratian Baccalaureate Armenian-language educational program implemented by the Ayb Educational Foundation, and the education programs carried out by COAF in beneficiary communities.
The memorandum is particularly aimed at exchange of practice between the two foundations with regard to their current projects and initiatives; development and employment of joint methodological guides, education and training tools; consideration of expert and professional potential and other resources; implementation of joint events at the SMART Center being built on the River Debed in Lori region and at the SMART Centers to be built in other regions. It is also aimed at rendering support to the development processes of the Araratian Baccalaureate candidate schools, including schools in Armavir, Lori, Shirak, Tavush and Aragatsotn regions.
On behalf of the Ayb Educational Foundation, the memorandum was signed by Executive Director Sona Koshetsyan, and on behalf of the Children of Armenia Fund the memorandum was signed by Acting Executive Director Innesa Grigoryan.
“The various education programs the Ayb Educational Foundation and COAF carry out pursue the goal of shaping a more competitive and responsible generation and thus, having our input in the development of our country. I hope that our joint efforts committed to this end will yield visible results in the very near future,” said Sona Koshetsyan.
“As a Chinese proverb has it, if your plan is for one year, plant rice; if your plan is for ten years, plant trees; if your plan is for one hundred years, educate children. The Children of Armenia Fund and the Ayb Educational Foundation have united around this ideology, they believe in it, and the signing of this memorandum is an important step toward education reforms in our country,” said Acting Executive Director at COAF Innesa Grigoryan.
Director of the National Program for Educational Excellence Fr. Mesrop Aramian, COAF Founder and Chairman of the Board, Dr. Garo Armen and representatives from the two foundations were present at the signing of the memorandum.
On November 15-16, within the framework of the National Program for Educational Excellence (NPEE), Head of the Araratian Baccalaureate Examination Center (ABEC) Tom Samuelian and ABEC Recognitions Specialist Ruzanna Mayilyan took part in the Annual Forum of the Council of International Schools (CIS Forum) held in Edinburg, UK.
This year more than 800 international schools and universities from over 70 countries from around the world, including Canada, USA, UK, Germany, Netherlands, Austria, Switzerland and Spain, took part in the CIS Forum.
Within the framework of the forum, the ABEC representatives presented to over 50 universities the internationally recognized Araratian Baccalaureate Armenian-language qualification as well as Ayb School as the first school offering the AB in Armenia.
“This two-day forum granted us not only an excellent chance to build professional networks with other schools, and more importantly, with universities, and to participate in various professional development sessions, but also to introduce the Araratian Baccalaureate qualification to the international education audience, thus fostering its international recognition by the leading universities in the world,” said Ruzanna Mayilyan.
About the Araratian Baccalaureate
The Araratian Baccalaureate (AB) is an internationally recognized Armenian-language educational program, designed by the Ayb Educational Foundation and further improved within the framework of the National Program for Educational Excellence (NPEE). It is to provide competitive school education for all schoolchildren in Armenia. The program will be offered along with the state program, granting students broader opportunities for the high school educational program and ensuring local and international recognition of their education, graduation marks, and diplomas.
The first schools (in Armenia and Artsakh) to offer the AB program are expected to welcome their first AB students on September 1, 2018.
The program is carried out along with the Ministry of Education and Science in collaboration with Cambridge Assessment International Education (CAIE) and the University College London (UCL) Institute of Education (IOE).
On October 9, Armenia hosted Chief Executive of Cambridge Assessment International Education Michael O’Sullivan for the first time.
Mr. Sullivan was in Armenia to sum up the three-year collaboration with the Ayb Educational Foundation within the framework of the Araratian Baccalaureate program, an internationally-recognized Armenian language educational program, and discuss further plans.
It should be reminded that within the framework of the established collaboration, Cambridge Assessment International Education supports the elaboration of AB exams in Armenian language as well as the international recognition of AB certificates.
During the one-day visit, Michael O’Sullivan toured Ayb School, the first educational institution in Armenia offering the Araratian Baccalaureate, and got acquainted with life at school, its technical possibilities as well as programs carried out by the students.
Afterwards, the Chief Executive had a meeting with President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan, who stressed that the ongoing cooperation between the Ayb Educational Foundation and its international partner, Cambridge Assessment International Education, will help Armenia give a new impetus to reforms in secondary education, aimed at providing high quality education to students. “The implementation of the Araratian Baccalaureate in Armenian schools plays an important role in building an internationally acceptable and competitive system based on best Armenian learning traditions and leading modern education practice,” underscored the President.
In his turn, Michael O’Sullivan noted that the Cambridge Assessment International Education is trying to reform educational systems in many countries by localizing today’s best practices in a bid to shape a new education system. According to Mr. O’Sullivan, Armenia has built up a solid foundation for such improvements. “We have a good partner in Armenia, the Ayb Educational Foundation, and our collaboration enables us carry out the necessary reforms,” said the Chief Executive.
