YEREVAN, APRIL 6, NOYAN TAPAN. It is necessary to work out new educational programs to raise the qualitative level of Armenian schools of Diaspora as because of absence of such programs those schools today face a number of problems. Artun Hamalian, the Responsible for the Education Department of the Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU) stated about it at the April 6 conference held in Yerevan, dedicated to education problems of Diaspora. In his words, the AGBU has about 20 everyday and the same number of Saturday schools in different colonies of Diaspora. It was mentioned that if the number of students studying at those schools made about 7 thousand in 1990s, then according to 2007 data, the number of pupils reduced 2-2.5 thousand. Whereas, in A. Hamalian's words, more than 1.5 mln Armenian children at the school age live in Diaspora. "Numerous parents find it purposeful to send their children for education to non-Armenian schools, reasoning that education programs in Armenian schools do not correspond to demands of the time," A. Hamalian mentioned. Yervand Zorian, the AGBU California branch head stated that CDs in Eastern Armenian and Western Armenian, English and Russian will be released in future, in which the Armenian people's history and culture will be presented. "I think that those CDs will give possibility to return Armenian education institutions a great number of children," Y. Zorian emphasized.

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