VIDEO: Pashinyan Visits New Schools in Yerevan

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan visited Yerevan's number 6 and number 111 secondary schools to familiarize himself with the reconstruction work carried out there. He was accompanied by Yerevan Mayor Tigran Avinyan, Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sports Zhanna Andreasyan, Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure Gnel Sanosyan, among others.

The new building of Yerevan's number 6 secondary school was constructed under the delegation of the Territorial Development Foundation of Armenia. The construction began in 2020 and was completed in August 2023. The school was built within the framework of a seismic safety improvement program supported by the Asian Development Bank. Landscaping, greening, and pavement works were also carried out. The total cost of the works amounted to 1 billion 166.7 million AMD. Currently, 780 students are studying at the school. The school is equipped with necessary furniture and technical equipment.

The Prime Minister congratulated those present on the occasion of the opening of the school and stated, “First of all, I want to congratulate you all on this return, because I know that you all have waited a long time, and I am glad that this important event is taking place. Why do we attach such great importance to schools and school construction? Because we believe that this is a strategic issue and a strategic program.”

According to Nikol Pashinyan, the future of the country depends on the upcoming generation, the ideas and thoughts that will be formed within it. “Why do we emphasize the standards and quality of school construction? Because we want all of you to feel at school as you do at home. We want you to relate to school the way you relate to your home, and vice versa—we also want the school to treat you the way your parents, grandparents, sisters, and brothers usually welcome you. And we consider it very important that the school helps you solve three very important questions, which are fundamental to all our educational reforms. We want every student to leave school with a strong mind, a strong spirit, and a strong body. This is very important,” the Prime Minister said.

The head of government emphasized the importance of creating conditions that meet modern standards and requirements for education. “However, the building, the furniture, and everything else are just inanimate objects. Now you must bring life to that building with your daily attitude.”

Addressing the issue of gymnasiums for physical culture, Nikol Pashinyan stated that they must be built and operated according to clear standards for all institutions: “The gyms for physical education, basketball, and football fields must meet specific criteria.”

The new building of Yerevan's number 111 secondary school was also constructed under the delegation of the Territorial Development Foundation of Armenia. The construction began in 2021 and was completed in August 2023. This school was built as part of the seismic safety improvement program supported by the Asian Development Bank. Landscaping, greening, and pavement works were also completed, with a total cost of 1.5 billion AMD. The capacity of the constructed school is 432, while the current number of students is 286.

Nikol Pashinyan congratulated those present on this occasion and mentioned that the government's push for new schools is somewhat related to the necessity of having new thinking. “What can new thinking mean? New thinking, I believe, can mean the following: getting to know ourselves better, recognizing our strengths and weaknesses, and trying to strengthen all the strengths we have while overcoming all the weaknesses we have. I believe that all challenges and their solutions lie in our thinking—understanding ourselves, our environment, the world, the time, and the opportunities. In this regard, we want new thinking for children and students to signify something—the limitless potential of each one of you,” the Prime Minister noted.

According to the Prime Minister, it is the government's task to make education accessible to everyone.