The Araratian Baccalaureate (AB) Armenian-language educational program that was designed by the Ayb Educational Foundation and further improved within the framework of the National Program for Educational Excellence (NPEE) has been recognized as equivalent to such leading and international educational programs as the UK GCE A Level and the US Advanced Placement (AP).
To this end, a press conference was held at Ayb School which also focused on two other milestones of the program – the program’s establishment as an alternative educational program in Armenia and the awarding of the first internationally recognized AB exams.
Minister of Education and Science of Armenia Levon Mkrtchyan, NPEE Director Fr. Mesrop Aramian and Ayb School Head Aram Pakhchanian spoke at the press conference.
It was stated at the press conference that one of the most reputable agencies of recognition and comparison of international qualifications and skills – UK NARIC – carried out the extensive and lasting benchmarking of the AB program and found it comparable to major international educational programs. It means that from now on Armenia will have its own place on the global map of education, and Armenian children will have a chance to get competitive education in Armenian and directly in their schools, the quality of which will be accepted by top universities in the world.
Speaking about what AB’s being comparable to other educational programs gives to Armenian students, NPEE Director Fr. Mesrop Aramian said: “Henceforward, Armenian schoolchildren will be able to take international exams in Armenian and based on their results they will be able to get admitted to top universities around the world or be granted credits in those universities.”
RA Minister of Education and Science Levon Mkrtchyan spoke about AB’s establishment as an alternative educational program in Armenia. “Today Armenia has an alternative educational program, which has high international quality and such standards and criteria that the Armenian educational system should strive to gradually attain. All high schools in Armenia will be granted a chance to opt between two paths – the educational path we have today and the path the Araratian Baccalaureate offers and which should eventually provide international results.”
The press conference concluded with a remark on the first AB exams, which are exceptional in both Armenian and global history of education, as it was the first time the students of any country were taking exams in their native language that are equivalent to Cambridge A Levels and are accepted by both Cambridge and other international universities.
The press conference was followed by the awarding of the first AB Certificates to the students. These certificates will enable them to enter a number of universities in the UK, Europe, Singapore, Japan, and so on.
Reference The Araratian Baccalaureate (AB) is an Armenian-language internationally recognized educational program, which is to provide competitive school education for all schoolchildren in Armenia. The Program was designed by the Ayb Educational Foundation and was further improved within the framework of the National Program for Educational Excellence (NPEE).
In the first stage, the program will be rolled out to selected schools of Armenian regions with at least one class and has the goal to expand in the future.
The program is carried out along with the Ministry of Education and Science in collaboration with Cambridge International Examinations (CIE) and the University College London (UCL) Institute of Education (IOE). 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 National Program for Educational Excellence (NPEE) is a 10-year initiative, which was launched in 2014 and which aims to provide higher-quality general education and carry out systematic reforms in Armenia. Within the framework of the NPEE, the Araratian Baccalaureate, an Armenian-language alternative educational program that meets high international standards, will be introduced in all schools in Armenia and Artsakh, the best human resources will be directed to schools, and a community of teachers meeting international standards will be prepared. The idea of the program belongs to the Ayb Educational Foundation. The program is carried out along with the Ministry of Education and Science in collaboration with Cambridge International Examinations (CIE) and the University College London (UCL) Institute of Education (IOE).
The program is financed by the Armenian government and is co-funded by the Ayb Educational Foundation.
