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On September 28, Armenian State Pedagogical University (ASPU) hosted Abkhaz colleagues of "Step by Step" Benevolent Foundation, who were accompanied by Ruzanna Tsarukyan, the Director of the Foundation.
Before the start of the programme in Abkhazia, the guests – Medea Chengelia, Deputy Minister of Education and Science of the Republic of Abkhazia, Elena Kobakhia, Director of the Sokhumi Youth House, and Lyalya Chaiba, coordinator of the "Help Education System in Abkhazia" project, discussed with the trained specialists and representatives of the structures [involved in the programme] implementation and coordination of the programme in HEIs and other educational institutions.
The guests were welcomed by Srbuhi Gevorgyan, ASPU Vice-Rector for Educational and Scientific Affairs, who said they would be glad to share with their foreign partners the successful experience of the University. She stressed that the programme was well-structured from the very beginning.
“The practical tools offered by the programme enabled Methodists, educators and psychologists to prepare a variety of interactive learning materials, which has been mentioned repeatedly,” the vice-rector said adding that the interest in the programme is growing thanks to the positive results in each of the activities.
Aida Topuzyan, Head of the Chair of Professional Education and Applied Pedagogy, said the programme focuses on children, especially in various stages of education. She expressed desire to see the continuity of the programme and said it was a successful attempt to strengthen ties between kindergartens, schools and universities, while many programme only focus on methods. “You have revealed the narrow sides of the issue and gathered around you people who are ready to accept all that.”
Associate Professor Lusine Poghosyan, Deputy Dean for Scientific Affairs at the Faculty of Primary Education, spoke about the positive approaches to student training. She assured everyone that they transfer the knowledge and skills that they acquire to their teachers, ensuring successful continuity and sequence of cooperation and exchange of experience.
“A lot of research [in Masters and PhD programmes] has been done by the ASPU within the framework of the project, and auxiliary materials have contributed to the organization of the educational process and introduction of methods,” Lusine Poghosyan said when speaking about the positive aspects of the programme. She added it would be better to conduct monitoring to record and analyze the results.
“During the implementation of the programme, we became convinced that there is a great connection with science, and everything is analyzed scientifically,” the Abkhaz guests said after hearing the views of the participants and added that this connection is due to the involvement of students in the programme. Should the programme not start from the pre-school age, it would not have such a result.
They asked the programme participants about fears, difficulties and suspicions they experience towards everything new. In response, they said that if a teacher is well prepared and is aware of the special tools, he/she will be able to use the interactive methods and achieve success.
Ruzanna Tsarukyan, Director of "Step by Step" Benevolent Foundation, assured everyone that the positive outcome of the programme was due to the joint work with the leading structures of the sector. “Many representatives of the education sector at least know what they need, even if they do not accept innovations. During the 15 years, we have had many adherents and supporters,” she said adding that their plans and activities change in the course of time determined by qualitative and ideological changes of generations.
Speaking about their future activities, the guests wondered how they were going to transfer experience and continue it.
Armenian partners noted that the new methods are transferred through student and staff training: the programme played an important role and become pivotal in the entire educational system.
At the end of the meeting, Armenian and Abkhaz colleagues exchanged coordinates to be able to provide appropriate support to each other and exchange experience. They also toured around the ASPU Museum and got familiarized with its history and chronology.
