YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 3, NOYAN TAPAN. Within the framework of the Credit Program on Education Quality and Correspondence being implemented with the assistance of the World Bank, 801 of 1430 schools of Armenia will be provided with computer equipment till late 2007. "If we are able to implement this credit program conscientiously and honestly, it will give possibility to make today the comprehensive education system of Armenia comparable with the European Union standards," Levon Mkrtchian, the RA Minister of Education and Science stated at the November 2 hearings organized at the RA National Assembly. The goal of the enlarged hearings held on the initiative of the Parliament Standing Committee on Science, Education, Culture and Youth Issues was to discuss jointly with specialists of the education sphere the problem of introduction of information communication technologies (ICT) in the comprehensive education system as well as the legislative initiative of the "Orinats Yerkir" (Country of Law) faction, which proposes to implement teaching of "Informatics and Information Communication Technologies" subject at comperehensive educational institutions starting from the 4th grade. This subject is taught at present starting from the 6th grade. To recap, the total value of the credit program being implemented with the WB assistance is 19.6 mln U.S. dollars, among components of which is ICT introduction in schools. The first part of financing envisaged for the mentioned component was got in 2005, and the whole program is envisaged to finish on November 30, 2008. Within the framework of the above-mentioned component, providing schools not only with computer equipment, but also with internet communication is envisaged. As for the latter, the Minister mentioned that no money was spent yet as tariffs proposed by ArmenTel having monopoly of providing internet communication services are not admissible for the WB, and the negotiations on it are still in process at present. As for the legislative initiative of the "Orinats Yerkir" faction, L.Mkrtchian mentioned that the Ministry abstained from the program of teaching "Informatics and Information Communication Technologies" subject at primary school, mainly accentuating the middle and high grades.

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