At the end of last week the Teacher’s Day was celebrated in Armenia, and on September 1 – the Knowledge Day. A number of high rank officials made statements and congratulated schoolchildren, students…
They spoke beautiful words about the importance of knowledge, but still there are many problems in that field. In our country there are many problems for education and preparing qualified specialists, included artificial obstacles. For instance, such obstacles are created for the students, who have left for other countries in the framework of students’ exchange programs (in the given case we mean the male students). Thus, a number of programs are organized by the ministry of education and science every year, which winners are to make corresponding contracts with the ministry, represented by the minister, and that person is officially sent to the given university. According to the mentioned contract, the student undertakes to study well, not to violate the laws of that country and return to Armenia after finishing the studies, and, from the other side, the ministry undertakes to “provide the uninterrupted education process of the RA citizen, who has left to study overseas”. It turns out, that in order to maintain this provision the ministry has certain legal obstacles, which accordingly create extra problems for those students. However, the point is that this problem has been existing for a long time and it seems that no efforts have been taken to overcome it; they have got used to that situation and are working in such conditions. The problem is that among such students sent for studying there are many citizens, who are under the age of 18 and thus they need to get a deferment of military service. The military commissariat refers to the relevant law and informs that “deferment concerning the real military service can be given only after 18 and during the corresponding drafting period”. Accordingly, such young people can get a visa (stamp) for leaving the country (which is issued by the RA Police) with a term till their birthday when they become 18. As a result of this shortcoming, the young students, who have officially been sent for study in abroad, are faced with a problem since their passports lose their validity after the expiration of the term of the mentioned stamp. There are two options here: either the students have to stay in Armenia for more one year, lose one year and then get that deferment during the next period of drafting or… in fact the ministry fails to fulfill its obligation under the mentioned contract to provide the uninterrupted process of study. This issue has been risen by many scientists and other interested people. The official military bodies have agreed too that “there have been cases with the students officially sent for studying in abroad, when the application of the law may bring to a result, when such students may be excluded from their universities or after the expiration of the term of their visa they stay in such countries illegally”. In consideration of a number of factors, the relevant high rank officials of the defense ministry have decided to apply the following policy: in all cases deferments shall be granted during the relevant period of drafting after they become 18, and issue the permit of the corresponding regional military commissariats for granting a visa for leaving the country for a period of maximum one year (in compliance with the education year) not depending on the fact whether deferment has been granted or no. Yesterday we discussed this topic with the head of foreign relations of the ministry, Artur Mkrtchyan. The latter says there are no significant legal contradictions and the problem is that sometimes there are some problems in relation with some military commissariats. “They can’t grant deferment till 18 since the age of drafting starts from 18. Notwithstanding, there is a treaty and military law, which clearly write that deferment right shall be granted to the students, who are leaving to study abroad,” said Mr. Mkrtchyan and added that sometimes there are some problems due to certain reasons. However, he assured that about 98% of students don’t have such problems. Even those citizens, who are 16-17 years old don’t have such problems and there are one or two such cases each year, which are arranged “through negotiations with the military commissariats based on written letters…” “Sometimes they say that they can give that permission for just two months and suggest that they can go to their universities and then bring a corresponding form for them to prove that they have been accepted by such universities, but those children are traveling a long distance and paying money,” said A. Mkrtchyan. In his words, there has been only one such case this year. Currently the lawyers of the ministry are trying to arrange that issue. “We have done our best and organized everything, and now this issue has to be treated by the lawyers to find an answer. We may also organize a discussion with the minister in participation with representatives of the defense ministry to find a solution not to have such problems in the future,” said the head of the ESM’s foreign relations department and added, “There has been no such case, as a result of which the students could not leave”. However, according to our sources, there have been many cases when students lost years because of that problem. There might have been many such cases as the young men, who are going to study abroad are encountered with this problem since they are going to become 18. Furthermore, it has to be so as most of the young students, who are going to study abroad based on contracts, are under the age of 18.