Monday, 12 April 2010
Informational environment is being created
Thanks to treasury allocations, 300 more educational institutions will join the web network of Armenian schools. As Minister of Education and Science Armen Ashotyan told journalists at yesterday’s news conference, about 600 schools from different regions of Armenia are currently connected to the web network.
“This is a sizeable project providing schools with 24-hour Internet access. Under the World Bank’s credit program 500 more schools will be connected to the network over the next couple of years. As a result, the objective of providing schools with an informational environment will be met in full.
The program has a balanced coverage of marzes inclusive of high-mountain and distant communities. Mr. Ashotyan also advised that the Ministry of Education and Science is working with leading international IT companies such as Synopsis and Microsoft to develop programs in line with academic curricula.
Note that the National Center of Educational Technologies organizes trainings for the teachers of computer science. Last year computer science teachers from 320 networked schools, as well as some technical staff attended such trainings.
A mobile Internet – station is available to such schools as have no Internet access. The number of computers in general educational establishments has increased due to the World Bank-supported school computerization program, with 36 computers currently available to 1000 schoolchildren nationwide. This process will continue this year.
As a result, the number of computer classes has increased, too. Computer manuals are being published: for instance under the order of the Institute of Open Society 14 such manuals have been made up in the Yerevan State University for distribution among schools. On this basis electronic libraries are being created in the educational institutions. Last year a manual on the use of the Internet was issued to be circulated in schools. It has an electronic variant comprising 25 video clips.
