What is Wrong with Education? Interactive Lecture Held at AUA

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YEREVAN, Armenia – On March 4, 2015, the American University of Armenia (AUA) hosted Serob Khachatryan for an interactive lecture on the many critical issues facing education in Armenia. The event was hosted and organized by the MA Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) Program and the Center for Research in Applied Linguistics of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences.

The lecture examined the role of the “learner” and their voice in education. According to Khachatryan, “Today’s education system is about standards and measures that are at odds with meaningful education. We have schools full of student-spectators who will only come alive and become participators if we provide learning experiences that are relevant and memorable to them.”

Khachatryan suggested bringing the most talented teachers back into the classroom and identifying individual best practice activities that bring about positive changes in learner attitudes toward school, and to use this as the basis of school reform.

Khachatryan was born and raised in Gyumri. He is a graduate of Yerevan State University, Faculty of Philosophy and Psychology. Upon graduation, he worked as a translator, journalist, editor, education expert, project coordinator, and director. However, working with children in Armenian villages under the sponsorship of the Children of Armenia Fund (COAF) has brought him the most joy. His current work is divided between COAF and lecturing at Yerevan State University. Khachatryan has authored several books and textbooks.

Founded in 1991, the American University of Armenia (AUA) is a private, independent university located in Yerevan, Armenia and affiliated with the University of California. AUA provides a global education in Armenia and the region, offering high-quality, graduate and undergraduate studies, encouraging civic engagement, and promoting public service and democratic values.

Serob Khachatryan gives an interactive lecture on the many critical issues facing education in Armenia.