On the initiative of the RA MoESCS, a distance working meeting was held with the representatives of the organizations engaged in joint activities in the field of education. The RA Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sports Arayik Harutyunyan, Deputy Ministers Arthur Martirosyan and Zhanna Andreasyan, as well as more than thirty representatives of partner organizations participated in the distance discussion.

Greeting the participants of the meeting, Minister A. Harutyunyan thanked for the response to the invitation and the willingness to integrate efforts and cooperate in the declared state of emergency to prevent the spread of coronavirus. He noted that in the current situation the Ministry had immediately undertaken the necessary steps to ensure the continuity of the educational process and to exercise children’s right to education to the highest level. According to the Minister, the National Center for Educational Technologies first launched a comprehensive page on distance education resources, then made video lessons on all subjects for schoolchildren which are also daily released via the Ministry's Facebook Page. A. Harutyunyan also informed that the public lesson organized with the Public TV Company is accessible to everyone, TV applications have been launched to disseminate the video lessons. About 4000 teachers have applied for distance learning skills.

The Deputy Minister A. Martirosyan also thanked his colleagues for responding to the invitation of having a working meeting and for the participation. He noted that the objective of the discussion is to focus the attention of partner organizations on the directions and priorities set by the Ministry today. According to him, it is useful for the MoESCS to learn about the planned efforts of partner organizations in the frame of realizing the right to education and ensuring the continuity of learning and combine them with State efforts which the MoESCS realizes in the frame of working measures coordinated by the Commandant’s Office in the context of the coronavirus pandemic.

The Deputy Minister Zh. Andreasyan noted that 80% of schoolchildren are enrolled in the programs of distance education. Today, the Ministry summarizes the problems and tries to find solutions. She introduced the directions in which the Armenian side needs support: mainly to support children from socially vulnerable families as much as possible in terms of their inclusion in distance learning by provision of appropriate equipment, Internet access, developing mobile applications for the created resources and other means; to develop the teachers' distance learning skills, to help in the disinfection of all educational institutions. She emphasized the need to make the distance education inclusive for disabled children and children with special needs.

The representatives of partner organizations welcomed the initiative of the meeting, noted the impressive measures taken by the Ministry in a short time, and the positive feedback of the educational community. They presented the steps they have already taken or plan to take in the state of an Emergency. An agreement was reached that each organization will present a supporting action plan the realization of which will be discussed with the Commandant’s Office.