Armenia makes chess compulsory in schools

[Feuer Frei!]

Dam, should have gone to school there, chess is awesome!

ARMENIA is to make chess a compulsory subject in primary schools in a bid to turn itself into a global force in the game, the education ministry said today. "Teaching chess in schools will create a solid basis for the country to become a chess superpower," said an official at the ministry, Arman Aivazian.
The authorities led by President Serzh Sarkisian, an enthusiastic supporter of the game, have committed around $1.43 million to the scheme - a large sum in the impoverished but chess-mad country.
Children from the age of six will learn chess as a separate subject on the curriculum for two hours a week.
Aivazian said the lessons, which start later this year, would "foster schoolchildren's intellectual development" and teach them to "think flexibly and wisely".
The game is hugely popular in Armenia, where grandmasters are stars and important match results make headline news.

The country of 3.2 million people has already established itself as a serious competitor in global tournaments.
The national team won gold at the biennial International Chess Olympiad in both 2006 and 2008, and the country's top player, Levon Aronian, is currently ranked No.3 in the world, according to the World Chess Federation.


SOURCE (http://www.news.com.au/breaking-news/armenia-makes-chess-compulsory-in-schools/story-e6frfku0-1226039947579)

[UnderseaLcpl]

I hope chess can teach them economics, because otherwise their only move is going to be E-2 to E-poor.

I jest. Badly. But this doesn't make any sense to me. How is spending so much to teach chess going to help Armenia in the long run? I agree, it's great to teach kids chess. It's a wonderful game, and it develops a lot of good critical thinking skills, but do they really have the luxury of spending such a large amount on such a dubious investment when they are in the situation they are in?

I sincerely hope it works out for them, but unless they can get their economy out of check, they're looking at economic mate in just a few turns.

[Fish In The Water]

...do they really have the luxury of spending such a large amount on such a dubious investment when they are in the situation they are in?

Probably not, but then neither do a lot of nations who host the Olympics or what have you...

ARMENIA is to make chess a compulsory subject in primary schools in a bid to turn itself into a global force in the game...

The game is hugely popular in Armenia

It sounds like it's primarily about national pride and esprit de corps. Once you get into this realm it's a bit like the Twilight Zone in that normal rationale goes right out the window.

In other words, countries always find money for this sort of thing, even if they can't feed themselves.

[Skybird]

Of course I like the idea, and once I linked a news from germany that there is one gymnasium here where you can also take regular classes in chess, and get points for it that contribute to the final exam notes, they wrote. Chess trains your memory and teaches you precise and thorough thinking - and the basis in needed discipline to acchieve that. And since school should be about a bit more than just later jobs, I think that cannot be too bad. Also, as the article already said, it is a sports and game that is EXTREMELY popular in Armenia. Also, there are many analogies possible between chess and the life in the world - and I mean more than just the obvious links to military strategy.

Americans finding it alienating may reflect for a moment that to us Europeans it is even more alienating that you can get access to highschools and universities just because you play good in a ball game, let's say basketball. ;)

[STEED]

Nice idea, lets try it here in the UK.

[Platapus]

Many kids could benefit from learning chess. But to mandate it? :nope:

I have heard that there actually people out there who don't care for chess. As pathetic as that seems, that is their choice.
:D

[Skybird]

There are also people, so I am told, that do not care for biology classes, foreign language classes or maths. But still they have to do it at school. And no, it's not their choice.

They could make worse courses than chess a mandatory class at schools. And actually, sometimes they even do.

[vienna]

California schools, on a state and local level, have used mandated classes in support of 'social engineering' for many, many years. It seems all it takes is for some social group or groups to raise an uproar about their 'exclusion' from 'mainstream' education and there is a new, mandated class to remedy the lacking. It wouldn't be so bad except that California's schools are already very lacking in funds and resources and can ill afford to remedy slights from previous eras at the expense of the necessary core subjects required to function in today's world and to progress to higher education. At the time I was going to school, if your parents wished you to explore your ethnic, cultural, or other heritage, it was done outside the school system via social clubs or some other such activities. The old saw of "readin', wrtitin', 'rithmetic" was all that was pushed to prepare us for our lives; anything else was up to our parents or social group.

Currently, the California legislature is considering "The Fair, Accurate, Inclusive and Respectful (FAIR) Education Act", a measure to mandate lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered history be taught in schools. The usual suspects are lined up (left-wing/liberals pro, right-wing/conservative/religious con) and are now hashing it out over the measure. The only ones who really lose out are the students who have to deal with a further reduction of resources to pay for this measure if it passes. If California were to stop all mandated social-based classes and programs, I wonder just how much money and resources would then be available to start teaching the real educational necessities?

That said, I would have no objection to a class that taught logic, critical thinking, self-reliance and other life-enhancing aspects as a chess class would, if it did not deter from the basics or displace funding or resources.

[Bakkels]

Of course I like the idea, and once I linked a news from germany that there is one gymnasium here where you can also take regular classes in chess, and get points for it that contribute to the final exam notes, they wrote. Chess trains your memory and teaches you precise and thorough thinking - and the basis in needed discipline to acchieve that. And since school should be about a bit more than just later jobs, I think that cannot be too bad. Also, as the article already said, it is a sports and game that is EXTREMELY popular in Armenia. Also, there are many analogies possible between chess and the life in the world - and I mean more than just the obvious links to military strategy.

Americans finding it alienating may reflect for a moment that to us Europeans it is even more alienating that you can get access to highschools and universities just because you play good in a ball game, let's say basketball. ;)

Hm, something tells me chess might be one of your hobbies...
(your profile for example :03:)
But whattayaknow SkyBird, I completely agree with you this time. :)
I see countries spending money on way less useful things all the time. And 1,5 million, even for a country that poor isn't that much, and it's money well spent imo.

One analogy that comes to mind is that while playing chess (mind you I'm not an expert, but I like the game) I always have the feeling that every move I'm planning on making, has already been done before and my options are limited. But the truth is, there are millions and millions of possible outcomes, and each move can take a game in a completely new direction.
Kinda like life; one might feel bound by certain rules or customs, but there are always countless options and choices to make that you might not see at first. Don't know if that makes any sense but there's my $0,02 :DL