168 Zham Newspaper: European Educational System and Compliance of the Armenian Educational System with European Standards

Editorial

The education sector is one of the systems of Armenia, that has been changed over many years to make it consistent with European standards of education. The process of Euro-integration in the sector of education is happening faster than in any other sector. Maybe one of the reasons is the fact that the sector of education is less politicized, thus it is not too manipulated for political purposes. Even though this process  started long ago, practical steps and policies were taken in 2005, when Armenia joined the Bologna process, leading to a common European education system. There is a provision in the action plan approved by Armenia and by the European Union, according to which Armenia is to participate in the Bologna process. “Reform the higher education system in accordance with the principles of “Bologna process” for the purpose of easing the recognition of the Armenian higher education in the territory of European higher education… Encourage the development of human resources and human capital without prejudice to age census, support  higher education reform and cooperation between higher education institutions in  Armenia and Europe according to the TEMPUS program,” writes the European Neighborhood Policy Action Plan. Besides these goals there are other important provisions. The education system is an intensive process of integration with Europe. Specifically, a number of Armenian universities have adopted the system of academic credits (one of the most important factors of the Bologna process) and the multi-factor system of knowledge evaluation, which are used in almost all European universities.

The purpose of the Bologna process is providing education according to common standards in a common educational environment, which results in the multilateral recognition of diplomas. It means that the diplomas obtained in  countries that have passed through the phases of the Bologna process will be recognized by the other countries within the same system. For example, a graduate of Yerevan State University will have equal opportunities to compete with graduates of other European Universities in the European labor market. This opportunity may be very beneficial to Armenia because its biggest potential is considered to be its intellectual resources.

However the sector of education is a complex system, where one cannot reac  goals only through the adoption of artificial methods. Society and citizens have a decisive role in this process. There can be real change of the quality of education in Armenia only if the understanding of people changes. It is a pity that in our society there is the belief that only a diploma is a guarantee of civic status. For many people the reason to help their children getting a higher education is not  knowledge, but the opportunity to obtain a diploma. This problem does not concern the system of education only and creates a chain reaction,  it affects other sectors as well.  Graduates with lack of knowledge are getting positions in the government, business, politics, civic and other sectors… As far as the perception of the issue and understanding of the real meaning of education have not changed and people don’t strive to get education in order to live well, no reforms can be success. From this point of view besides reforming the system of education it is essential to do some psychological and social work as well, so that  society integrates with the European system,  with its mentality and understanding first. The European Neighborhood Police gives this opportunity. It is not by chance that reforms and changes in the system of education are included under the topic of human contacts.

Process of Bologna

Even though recently there is much talk about the Bologna  process, most people don’t know what it really means. It is very surprising that even the people involved in the sector of education, especially students, don’t know much about this process.

It is the process creating a common education area among  European countries. It  started in Bologna, a  city in Italy in 1999. The Bologna  Resolution was signed then.  It defines the main goals and issues resulting in common values of education systems in European countries, and the expected result is that  national values will also harmonise.

When and how.

The genesis of this process started in mid 1970s, when the council of ministers of the European Union adopted the first protocol on Cooperation in the System of Education. In 1988 the mechanisms of cooperation were concretised further and the rectors of European universities signed the University Big Charter (Magna Charta Universitatum) by defining the principles, which later become the ground of the process of Bologna. The next important step was the signing of the Sorbonne declaration in 1998 (it was signed by the education ministers of France, Germany, Italy and United Kingdom). In 1999 the declaration of Bologna was signed.

Participants

Currently the process of Bologna involves 45 countries such as the Great Britain, Germany, Italy, France, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Hungary, Greece, Denmark, Ireland, Iceland, Spain, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxemburg, Malta, Holland, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Finland, Czech Republic, Switzerland, Sweden, Estonia, Cyprus, Lichtenstein, Turkey, Croatia, Albania, Andorra, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Vatican, Macedonia, Russia, Serbia, Montenegro, Moldova, Ukraine, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Armenia. Armenia joined the process of Bologna in 2005.

Issues

The declaration of Bologna includes issues, the solution of which will support the unity of Europe in the field of education.

-Adoption of common, comparative education levels in the sector of higher education;
-Transformation to two-level education system (BA, MA);
-Adoption of credit system of evaluation;
-Raise the mobility of lecturers, students and administrative staff;
-Provision of the quality necessary for higher education;
-Mutual recognition of qualifications and higher education documents;
-Provision of self-management of universities.

Some more provisions have been added to the above-mentioned:

-Adoption of post-graduate studies as the third level of education;
-European evaluation of the educational system;
-Increase the competitiveness and interest toward  European education, implementation of the social role of higher education, provide availability and affordability;
-Development of additional education system (LLL-Lifelong Learning);

How the process is administered

The highest body of the Bologna process, which adopts decisions concerning the structure and development of the process, is the meeting of the education ministers of the member countries. In the periods in between the meetings the management of the process is carried out by the Bologna Follow-up Group, which consists of 2-3 representatives from each country. The Bologna group is presided by the representative of the country which presides in the European Union at the time.

The university of Bologna is one of the most famous universities in the world. It was founded in the 11th century as a result of joint efforts of jurisprudence students from different places. The first charter of the university was published in 1158 by the Frederick Barbossa. In the 13th century it had about 10.000 students. In the 20th century the university gave a place to the universities of Rome and Napoli, but it is still one of the most important educational centers of Italy.

Other articles in the supplement covered other aspects of education reform.