Epress.am News from Armenia
Members of For the Development of Science initiative fighting against the abolishment of military draft deferments for students today met with representatives of the authorities at the National Assembly put forward their alternative proposals. “We have tried to develop a proposal which would preserve the principle of the continuity of education and make the ‘everyone should serve’ principle more realistic,” student David Petrosyan said during the round table.
The students proposes to distribute the two years of compulsory military service for the duration of the undergraduate and graduate programs. “To distribute a year and a half of compulsory service for the bachelor’s 4 years – 4 months of service per year. This, of course, can be further discussed in detail. This would allow you not to take the university to the army, but to take the army to the university. The principle of the continuity of the student’s education is not violated, and at the same time he carries out his military duty.”
This step, according to Petrosyan, would replenish the army with literate and educated people, and would allow students to get familiar with the problems of the army and write scientific works about them: “This intermittent form of service would also contribute to reducing conflicts in the army and leave a positive impact on the relations between servicemen. What’s even more important is that soldiers would thus not be detached from civilian life.”
The remaining six months, Petrosyan added, would be served during the master’s two years, after completion of which students would be able to enroll on the army as lieutenants.
Note, the Armenian government was represented at the round table by Education and Science Minister Levon Mkrtchyan and Deputy Defense Minister Artak Zakaryan. The National Assembly was represented by Republican Party members Felix Tsolakyan and Eduard Sharmazanov, and Prosperous Armenia Party MP Vardan Bostanjyan.