On 21 October, the annual conference of the international network “Teach For All” began in Yerevan. The organizers of this year’s conference are the “Teach For Armenia” educational foundation and the “Teach For All” international network. Approximately 450 representatives from 75 countries around the world are participating in the conference.
Participants in the three-day Yerevan conference will discuss how to prepare children to challenge the current situation and reshape our ever-changing world through knowledge and experience.
In her opening remarks, Wendy Kopp, executive director and co-founder of the “Teach For All” international network, welcomed those present and noted that today’s world faces numerous complex socio-economic and political challenges that require collective global solutions.
“We have concluded from all this that today’s students must grow up as leaders and possess a certain mindset and skills. In a changing economy, they must be able to solve problems that are becoming increasingly complex day by day and build a brighter future,” Kopp said.
“Many countries are in crisis today because we do not know what education should look like to give a child what they need, what is important for being free and independent at a more mature age, and for fully realizing their potential. I cannot say that anyone present here knows the clear answer to that question, but we have the interesting experience, stories, and programs of Armenia and other countries. These questions should not be discussed only in ministries and offices, but also in our communities. We usually think that we must teach communities, whereas it is very important to learn from communities,” said Larisa Hovhannisyan, founder and head of “Teach For Armenia,” in response to a question from “Mediamax.”
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan was also present at the opening ceremony and gave a practical interview to Edik Nazaryan, an 11th-grade student from Stepanavan in Lori Province attending the conference. During the Q&A, the Prime Minister spoke about his birthplace, the city of Ijevan in Tavush Province, touched on the education he received, and emphasized the importance of education as a continuous process.
“For me, education is a continuous process, and that is why we are now discussing our country’s strategic vision. We have a point there and hope to make it a reality for our country. We formulate it as follows: making education a national way of life in the Republic of Armenia. A person’s education must continue throughout their life. I have also proposed a slogan that each of us should have a slightly higher level of education and development every successive day than the previous day,” the Prime Minister said.
It should be noted that the “Teach For Armenia” program, which is one of the 50 members of the “Teach For All” network, works in 7 provinces of Armenia and in Artsakh. Over its 5 years of activity, it has sought, with the help of its teacher-leaders, to provide equal educational opportunities for children in Armenia’s remote communities. Conference participants will also visit 30 villages in Armenia.
