Education Governance Decentralisation Discussed in Tatev Municipality Pilot initiative

08-07-2026 - 08-07-2026

Within the framework of SALAR International’s “Support to Decentralisation and Local Government Reforms in Armenia” (DeaLoG) project, a working meeting was held on 2 July in the Tatev Municipal Council Hall, dedicated to the education governance decentralisation pilot initiative and the discussion of international experience in school governance.

The meeting was attended by education officials from the Municipality of Västervik (Sweden), representatives of the Swedish Association of Local Authorities and Regions (SALAR) and SALAR International, as well as the DeaLoG project team led by Programme Manager Varsenik Mnatsakanyan.

Participants also included Samvel Lalayan, Head of Tatev Municipality, Deputy Head of the Community Marat Gerasimyan, members of the Municipal Council, representatives of the municipal administration, and principals and teachers from the municipality’s general education schools.

The meeting was held in a constructive and productive atmosphere. The Swedish partners presented Sweden’s model of education governance and school decentralisation, highlighting the achievements of the reform process as well as the challenges and obstacles encountered during its implementation.

During the discussion, Mayor Samvel Lalayan inquired about the organisation of school consolidation and closure processes in Sweden, the system for ensuring the safe transportation of students from remote settlements, and the mechanisms used to preserve employment opportunities during such reforms. The Swedish partners, particularly the representatives of the Municipality of Västervik, shared their experience in political and educational governance and answered participants’ questions, emphasising that one of the key factors for successful decentralisation is effective communication between people and across different levels of government.

The meeting featured an active professional discussion and question-and-answer session. Participants stressed the importance of education governance decentralisation, noting that the reform could be successfully implemented if the management of future educational complexes is entrusted to municipalities and local self-government bodies are provided with the financial, administrative, and human resources necessary to exercise these responsibilities effectively.

At the conclusion of the meeting, participants underlined that Sweden’s successful experience could serve as an important reference point for implementing education governance decentralisation reforms in Armenia and for further strengthening the institutional capacities of municipalities.

As part of the visit, the delegation also toured the kindergarten in the Shinuhayr settlement of Tatev Municipality and Tatev Secondary School, where additional productive discussions were held with the school staff.

Garik Khachikyan, National Adviser on Local Self-Government of the DeaLoG project, presented the education governance decentralisation pilot initiative to the school staff, outlining the project team's and the Ministry’s approaches to transferring the management of educational complexes to municipalities. He also provided an update on the ongoing development of the legal framework for the pilot initiative.

He further informed participants that discussions with the Government are currently underway regarding possible models for transferring administrative and economic functions to municipalities, as well as the Government’s intention to delegate responsibilities for the maintenance and upkeep of school buildings to local self-government bodies.

On behalf of the school staff, Garik Khachikyan asked the representatives of the Municipality of Västervik whether serving as Chair or Head of the Municipal Education Committee requires a pedagogical qualification or previous teaching experience. The question arose because Andreas Biltorp, Chair of the Education Committee in Västervik, is a local elected politician.

Representatives of Tatev Secondary School also asked the Swedish guests about the organisation of student transportation from remote settlements and Sweden’s experience in managing severe weather conditions affecting school operations, noting that these issues remain particularly relevant in Armenia.

The Swedish partners explained that while similar situations also occur in Sweden, their scale and complexity are not comparable to those experienced in Armenia.

Magnus Liljeström, Senior Adviser at SALAR International, also joined the discussion, noting that he himself serves as a local elected politician in his municipality with responsibility for social affairs. He explained that holding such a political position does not require a specialised academic background or previous professional experience in education or social services. According to him, what matters most is a politician’s ability to combine existing knowledge and experience while continuously learning and developing new competencies.

One of the teachers at Tatev Secondary School jokingly remarked that Sweden is widely recognised for promoting gender equality and women’s participation in public life, yet there were no women in the visiting Swedish delegation. The Swedish partners replied that this was simply a coincidence. They added that women account for approximately 49% of political representatives in Sweden and frequently constitute the majority at regional and local government levels, particularly in the education and healthcare sectors.

The meeting concluded in a warm, constructive, and highly productive atmosphere.

The parties agreed to continue their cooperation during the upcoming “Governing Together” workshop.