We Found It Difficult to Make the Decision: Acting Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sport of Artsakh

Azerbaijan continues to block the only gas pipeline from Armenia to Artsakh and restrict energy supply, violating international humanitarian norms and the rights of the Armenian population in Artsakh to a sufficient standard of living and education. Public schools, vocational education institutions, and technical schools have been temporarily closed due to a lack of heating.

The acting Minister of Education, Science, Culture, and Sport of Artsakh, Hasmik Minasian, stated that most schools are heated with wood, but after actual calculations, it became clear that the majority of children attend schools heated with gas. “For example, let’s take the schools in Stepanakert; the majority of schools are heated with gas, but two-thirds of our children attend those schools,” she said.

The acting minister indicated that it was a difficult decision to make, but if classes continue in schools heated with wood, issues will arise at the end of the academic year, with more than half of the students falling behind the curriculum. The decision regarding schools and colleges is also collective.

“Basically, they are heated with gas, and in some, children also receive meals; due to the absence of those meals and the interruption of heating, it was decided to temporarily suspend classes. The educational process in higher education institutions continues; mid-term exams are taking place at universities,” said Minasian.