Armenia: Education and science budgets reach 95 billion AMD in 2010

PanARMENIAN.Net - "Next year the education budget will reach 95 billion AMD, 13 billion AMD less than in the current year. However, this will not prevent us from continuing all development programs. We will also need extra budgetary money to use effectively in all spheres of education," RA Minister of Education and Science Armen Ashotyan told a press conference on November 10.



Saying that the World Bank and the EU will give Armenia 4 billion AMD for educational programs, the minister stressed that next year's 12 per cent cut of budgetary spending for education sphere is conditioned not only by the global crisis, but rather demographic problems. The number of secondary school students is expected to reduce by 20 thousand next year, which will result in 1 billion AMD cut of the state expenditure for education sphere. The rest 12 billion AMD cut will be made at the expense of education support services, such as renovation of the school buildings," the minister said.



The minister also informed, that next year 48 schools will receive the status of high schools.