OSCE presents report on the student perspective of education reforms in Armenia

YEREVAN, 17 September 2015 – The findings and recommendations of an OSCE-supported survey exploring the awareness and attitude of students towards the educational reforms being implemented in Armenia were presented today in Yerevan. The so-called Bologna reforms are aimed at bringing quality of higher education system to the level of compatibility with the international standards.

More than 1723 students from 37 state, private and inter-governmental higher education institutions across the country took part in interviews conducted during the period of October 2014–April 2015.

The report finds that students see the level of implementation of the education reforms, known as the Bologna reforms, as sufficient. Fifty-seven percent of students consider that in-depth and essential changes were introduced in the higher education system. However, a great number of students could not clearly explain what the Bologna reforms entail and identify them only with some of its elements such as new grading system, higher education quality assurance or student-centered learning.

“The right to education is a fundamental human right and education is closely connected to the security of the country,” said Radka Rubilina, Human Rights Programme Officer at the OSCE Office in Yerevan. “The information about the education system should be easily accessible and understandable. Such an education system can ensure sophisticated society and stable economy.”

The report commissioned by the OSCE Office in Yerevan was conducted by the Armenian National Students’ Association (ANSA) which is an umbrella organization representing the rights of students through 17 local unions. It provides comprehensive statistical data regarding the perception of students of the current reforms in the country as well as a number of recommendations on how to tackle the challenges that still exist.

Armen Alexanyan, President of the Armenian National Students’ Association, added: “Knowledge and education are the most important resources nowadays through which the future is being shaped. The more qualified it will be, the more guarantees we will have that tomorrow we will have a state with a solid foundation. As the most active part of the society students should participate in evaluating the quality of education and introduce their own views to ensure better education for future generations.”

Students from the regions are more satisfied with the effectiveness of the reforms as compared to those from the capital, which may be accounted for by different level of demands set for the quality of education. Interestingly, the positive perception about the impact of the Bologna system is decreasing parallel to the years of study. The share of students considering the introduction of the Bologna system as a superficial, non-essential change is higher among students of senior years of both bachelor’s and master’s degrees as compared to those of junior years.

The full report in English can be found under the following link: //www.osce.org/yerevan/182201