Education

 

The Armenian Constitution recognizes the right to education, while society greatly values continuing education well into post-graduate degrees. Armenia boasts a 99.8% literacy rate. 

 

Basic education on school level is compulsory, and the government creates the necessary conditions to make it accessible to everyone through providing free primary and secondary education, and competitive tuition fees in higher education institutions. The English terminology seems to differ as to the levels of education, however, it appears that we have primary (kindergarten/development centers), secondary (split into 1-4 (elementary), 5-9 (middle), 10-12th (high school) grades), vocational and higher professional educational institutions. There are 2 levels of vocational training in Armenia. The first provides hands-on job skills for entry-level workers, while the second provides technology-specific training for up to 4 years leading to a formal qualification. Homeschooling is not an option in Armenia. Those who follow an international homeschooling curriculum may continue to do so.

Period of compulsory education:
Entry age: 6

Exit age: 17/18

Cultural education programs are constantly being developed, including collaborations between different musical institutions with public schools across the country. Furthermore, diasporan Armenians are encouraged to study in Armenia at different levels. The programs are updated annually. Here is the current program for 2023-2024.

The school year starts on September 1 and is split up into two semesters. The school year lasts for 30 weeks for first grade and 34 weeks for the remaining grades. There are two week-long breaks, one in November and one in February. The academic year normally ends in May, with only a few final exams in June. Two important dates for every child are the first day of school in first grade, where each school has a special ceremony to welcome the newcomers, and “Last Bell” also known as Verjin Zang, which denotes graduation and has its own set of traditions.