A conference “Conflict Management Education in Schools of Kotayk marz” was held in secondary school N 7 of Abovyan (Kotayk marz). The conference was organized on the initiative of Mariam Hovhannisyan, the head of the National Institute of Education Kotayk branch. The conference had a goal to summarize the results and impact of the project “Conflict Management Education” carried out in schools of the marz, to share the examples of interesting lessons and to discuss issues of the project sustainability.
The director of Abovyan School N7 Gohar Gasparyan opened the conference. Summarizing the work carried out in their school, she spoke about all the achievements and positive impact that were achieved through peace education. “It is somewhat peaceful and quiet in the school after the project. But before it we used to run solving this or that conflict, now it is not like that, the number of conflicts has decreased. And one more interesting thing. When we first took the book and read it, it seemed that there is nothing new in it, we all know all this. But when we began to teach the children, we felt that we started to manage even our own conflicts in a much better way. Believe me, such projects are very important at schools, because we are bringing up future citizens of Armenia, and today as never before we need citizens who do know their rights and do respect those of others. I have participated in almost all the lessons conducted at our school and I would like to advise our teachers to carry out these lessons in all classes. The results are much better in lower grades, because the kids are very frank and open to take. Now that we have conducted the lessons in all the grades, believe me, our problems have become less.”
Then M. Hovhannisyan presented a brief report on the work carried out in Kotayk marz in the frames of the project “Conflict management education in schools” in 2014-2015 academic year. The invited schools directors, vice-directors and teachers presented talks “The necessity and importance of the project in modern times”, “The impact of the project in the formation of the students’ value system”, “The impact of the project in the education process”, “Exchange of the best experience”, etc.
Valuing and appreciating peace education, the participants came up with several suggestions:
- It is very important to include conflict management issues in the class leading teachers’ plans
- It is very productive to make the parents a part of class leading lessons on conflict management
- Organize interschool, community events, thematic contests.
- Involve students in “Conflict management education” project, as they will be educating the children in future
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