Posts Tagged ‘ages seven to nine’
Armenia invests in compulsory chess for all school children
Armenia, one of the world players in chess, has made it mandatory in school for ages seven to nine.
Chess is a national obsession in the country of three million.
The passion was fostered in modern times by the exploits of chess champion Tigran Petrosian, who won the world championship in 1963 and then successfully defended his title three years later…
Armenian authorities say teaching chess in school is about building character, not breeding chess champs.
The education minister says taking the pastime into classrooms will help nurture a sense of responsibility and organization among schoolchildren, as well as serving as an example to the rest of the world.
“We hope that the Armenian teaching model might become among the best in the world,” Armen Ashotyan told The Associated Press.
Half a million dollars were allocated to the national chess academy to draw up a course, create textbooks, train instructors and buy equipment. Another $1 million went toward buying furniture for chess classrooms.
Two characteristics educators hope to encourage are quoted in the article – by the father of an 8-year-old whiz at chess. He hopes that continued involvement with and study of chess will encourage logical thinking and the ability to improvise.
Not bad attributes for your life’s culture.
