A memorandum of understanding was signed

Feb 21 - Mar 21

A Memorandum of Understanding has been signed between the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture, and Sport of the Republic of Armenia, the Swedish Association of Local Authorities and Regions (SALAR), and the SALAR International company.

The document was signed in Yerevan by Ryan Knox, Executive Director of SALAR International, and Araksia Svajyan, Deputy Minister of Education, Science, Culture, and Sport. The electronic version of the memorandum was signed by Anders Henriksson, President of the Swedish Association of Local Authorities and Regions (SALAR), in Sweden.

The parties have expressed confidence that the memorandum will strengthen cooperation aimed at the decentralization of education. The memorandum defines the terms of cooperation between the parties within the framework of the "Support for Decentralization and Local Government Reforms in Armenia" program, which will be implemented from September 1, 2022, to September 30, 2026.

The Ministry of Education, Science, Culture, and Sport of the Republic of Armenia is one of the main partners in the "Support for Decentralization and Local Government Reforms in Armenia" (DeaLOG) program, which is implemented with the support of SALAR International. The program is aimed at supporting decentralization and local government reforms in Armenia by fostering political dialogue, capacity building, and strengthening the self-government system at both national and local levels. The program highlights the role of education decentralization in local development processes.

The "DeaLOG" program has involved 10 partner communities, which, together with 34 schools in their territories, have initiated projects to deepen school-community cooperation.

The ministry has proposed to expand the number of schools operating in the cooperation format, adding three new modular schools in the regions of Kotayk, Shirak, and Vayots Dzor.