Number of Displaced Children Attending School Revealed

The Minister of Education, Science, Culture, and Sports, Zhanna Andreasyan, along with the Prime Minister's Press Secretary Nazeli Baghdasaryan, presented the latest data regarding forcibly displaced persons from Artsakh at the Government's Humanitarian Center. According to Nazeli Baghdasaryan's figures, the total number of forcibly displaced persons from Artsakh stands at 100,632, a number that has remained unchanged since the last release. The number of registered individuals is 98,216.

Out of the forcibly displaced from Artsakh, 6,104 children are already attending school. The distribution of these children across regions is as follows: in Aragatsotn - 306, Ararat - 943, Armavir - 467, Gegharkunik - 294, Lori - 315, Kotayk - 1,033, Shirak - 216, Syunik - 216, Vayots Dzor - 108, Tavush - 158, and Yerevan - 2,048. According to her, the number of students will increase in the coming days, ensuring the continuity of education for all school-age children currently in Armenia. The minister noted that children are also being provided with school supplies, and the issue of textbooks is being resolved. Textbooks will be provided free of charge to our compatriots displaced from Artsakh by schools.

Zhanna Andreasyan also mentioned that an educational support program for students displaced from Artsakh is launching. Regarding the financing of students' education, a scholarship program has been initiated. The amount of the scholarship will be determined based on the tuition fees for the relevant field of study. "We have regulated all cases where there are differences in educational programs and credits. In all these cases, our educational institutions are aware that they should enroll students, and this is being implemented without considering the limitation of licensed places. For determining the amount of the scholarship, we based it on the average tuition fees for that specialty in state universities. This will be the maximum amount that the state will reimburse. After the first semester, when students demonstrate certain progress, the base amount of the scholarship will increase for those students who show high performance. This regulation is already in circulation. I believe that we will start this financial support scheme next week, and thus, the continuity of education for our students will also be ensured from a financial perspective," said the Minister of Education, Science, Culture, and Sports.

Zhanna Andreasyan indicated that data is also being collected regarding students receiving education at Armenian universities, whose funding was provided by the authorities of Artsakh or their families. "We have two groups of students: one group had been studying in Artsakh institutions and is currently facing educational interruption issues. We have students studying in Armenian universities whose tuition payments have been made by the Artsakh government or by their parents, who are currently struggling to make payments. Soon, there will also be a support program for this group of students,” concluded the minister.

An electronic platform regarding vacant teacher positions will also be launched. Regarding the employment of teachers displaced from Artsakh, Zhanna Andreasyan noted that there are 1,790 vacant positions in the general education system, of which 1,450 are teaching vacancies. She emphasized that this information will be available online. "In Armenian schools, filling teacher vacancies occurs through a competition. However, the inclusion of displaced teachers from Artsakh into the system will be implemented in a secondment manner so that they can be assigned to schools without the competitive procedure. We have opted for this option to simplify the process," stated the minister. She also informed that the maximum duration of secondment is 2 years. During this time, teachers will have the chance to adapt, integrate, and make long-term decisions about continuing their professional work and their plans. The process of filling vacant positions will be non-competitive. The filling will occur through secondment, which means that teachers will receive an additional 30 percent on top of their base salary. The platform is expected to be made available from October 10, allowing teachers to see available positions and apply for jobs.