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HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS: STUDENTS AT CILICIAN SCHOOL SAY THEY ENJOY YEREVAN, BUT DREAM OF RETURNING TO ALEPPO
NAZIK ARMENAKYAN
http://armenianow.com/society/education/40527/syrian_armenians_cilician_school
Education | 24.10.12 | 12:09
Students at Cilician school
By Julia Hakobyan
ArmeniaNow Deputy Editor
Every day Rozalia Mrjoian follows the news from Syria and is saddened
when she learns the tragedy in her homeland continues.
"Bad guys want to overthrow our president. They were told 'Go and kill
people and you will get a visa for heaven'. They hide under bridges
and shoot the civilians. And they want to kill Armenians as well.
Because our president is in good relations with Armenians and Armenians
support him."
Enlarge Photo This is the perception of war 10 year old Rozalia,
who is with her family in her third week stay in Armenia, having fled
here from bombing and fighting in Aleppo, their home city.
Rozalia is one of the students enrolled in the newly established
Cilician school in Yerevan, which provides education in Arabic
language for those Syrian Armenian children whose families have
temporarily migrated to Armenia to wait till the situation in Syria
is settled. (Another group of Syrian Armenian children are enrolled
in different schools throughout Yerevan and get education according
to local curriculum.)
The opening of Cilicia school was initiated by "Cilicia" charitable
organization (based in Syria) and supported by the Ministry of
Education and the Ministry of Diaspora, guided by the order of the
president Serzh Sargsyan to provide the Syrian Armenian children with
appropriate conditions to continue education.
The school is currently attended by 265 children, (grades 1-9) 30
more than when it opened two weeks ago. As director Nora Pilibosian
says the number of children increases each time a plane from Syria
arrives in Armenia.
"Things are much better now, children get used to the school. The
education is based on Syrian curriculum and hopefully, when they go
back, they won't be behind in their schools," says Pilibosian.
The Cilician school occupies 2 floors of the Nar Dos school N14
(which this year became a high school for local Armenians, which means
only pupils from 10-12 grades attend it). The UN office in Yerevan
will soon donate eight computers to the school; UNICEF will provide
children with winter clothes.
Most of the children in the school are fluent in (Western) Armenian.
They are joyful and affable, and though they speak of the hospitality
they have received in Armenia, almost all of them dream to return to
their homeland, Syria.
"We had to stand for hours in line to get bread. And it was very
dangerous to be in the street, because any moment one could be killed.
There were many people from our street who died from the shells", says
Rozalia. "I cherish the day the war is over and I am back in Syria"
Her classmate, Sona Qaradanaian says she likes Yerevan, especially
churches and Mount Ararat.
"I saw Ararat once, when we visited Yerevan last year and I wanted
to see it again. I enjoy being here. My dream is to study good and
become a pediatrician. But still, most of all I want to be back home,"
says Sona.
Since the beginning of the conflict in March 2011 more than three dozen
Syrian Armenians have been reportedly killed in the ongoing conflict
in Syria, home to an estimated 80,000-strong Armenian community mostly
concentrated in Aleppo. In all, the conflict in Syria resulted in
the death of more than 30,000, most of which were peaceful residents.
Armenia was caught off guard by the migration of Syrian Armenians,
as the number reached more than 5,000. But according to the Ministry
of Diaspora, some 3,300 have already gone back, while others remain
in Armenia.
Families from Syria, who intend to stay, are trying to settle down
and solve the basic problems such as finding jobs and homes.
Hasmik Hejinian's family is one of them. Hejinian, a mother of two
teenage daughters who attend Cilician school says they flee from
Syria to Jordan, where they were intended to stay.
"In July we came to Armenia for a short visit, and the decision to stay
here was accidental. Our daughters loved Armenia and said they want to
stay here and continue education. So, we decided to take some time,"
says Hejinian, who teaches Arabic language, mathematics and History
of Religion. (in Armenian) at the school. Each religion lesson begins
with the Lord's Prayer.
"We are here and we feel secure," the teacher says.
From: A. Papazian
NAZIK ARMENAKYAN
http://armenianow.com/society/education/40527/syrian_armenians_cilician_school
Education | 24.10.12 | 12:09
Students at Cilician school
By Julia Hakobyan
ArmeniaNow Deputy Editor
Every day Rozalia Mrjoian follows the news from Syria and is saddened
when she learns the tragedy in her homeland continues.
"Bad guys want to overthrow our president. They were told 'Go and kill
people and you will get a visa for heaven'. They hide under bridges
and shoot the civilians. And they want to kill Armenians as well.
Because our president is in good relations with Armenians and Armenians
support him."
Enlarge Photo This is the perception of war 10 year old Rozalia,
who is with her family in her third week stay in Armenia, having fled
here from bombing and fighting in Aleppo, their home city.
Rozalia is one of the students enrolled in the newly established
Cilician school in Yerevan, which provides education in Arabic
language for those Syrian Armenian children whose families have
temporarily migrated to Armenia to wait till the situation in Syria
is settled. (Another group of Syrian Armenian children are enrolled
in different schools throughout Yerevan and get education according
to local curriculum.)
The opening of Cilicia school was initiated by "Cilicia" charitable
organization (based in Syria) and supported by the Ministry of
Education and the Ministry of Diaspora, guided by the order of the
president Serzh Sargsyan to provide the Syrian Armenian children with
appropriate conditions to continue education.
The school is currently attended by 265 children, (grades 1-9) 30
more than when it opened two weeks ago. As director Nora Pilibosian
says the number of children increases each time a plane from Syria
arrives in Armenia.
"Things are much better now, children get used to the school. The
education is based on Syrian curriculum and hopefully, when they go
back, they won't be behind in their schools," says Pilibosian.
The Cilician school occupies 2 floors of the Nar Dos school N14
(which this year became a high school for local Armenians, which means
only pupils from 10-12 grades attend it). The UN office in Yerevan
will soon donate eight computers to the school; UNICEF will provide
children with winter clothes.
Most of the children in the school are fluent in (Western) Armenian.
They are joyful and affable, and though they speak of the hospitality
they have received in Armenia, almost all of them dream to return to
their homeland, Syria.
"We had to stand for hours in line to get bread. And it was very
dangerous to be in the street, because any moment one could be killed.
There were many people from our street who died from the shells", says
Rozalia. "I cherish the day the war is over and I am back in Syria"
Her classmate, Sona Qaradanaian says she likes Yerevan, especially
churches and Mount Ararat.
"I saw Ararat once, when we visited Yerevan last year and I wanted
to see it again. I enjoy being here. My dream is to study good and
become a pediatrician. But still, most of all I want to be back home,"
says Sona.
Since the beginning of the conflict in March 2011 more than three dozen
Syrian Armenians have been reportedly killed in the ongoing conflict
in Syria, home to an estimated 80,000-strong Armenian community mostly
concentrated in Aleppo. In all, the conflict in Syria resulted in
the death of more than 30,000, most of which were peaceful residents.
Armenia was caught off guard by the migration of Syrian Armenians,
as the number reached more than 5,000. But according to the Ministry
of Diaspora, some 3,300 have already gone back, while others remain
in Armenia.
Families from Syria, who intend to stay, are trying to settle down
and solve the basic problems such as finding jobs and homes.
Hasmik Hejinian's family is one of them. Hejinian, a mother of two
teenage daughters who attend Cilician school says they flee from
Syria to Jordan, where they were intended to stay.
"In July we came to Armenia for a short visit, and the decision to stay
here was accidental. Our daughters loved Armenia and said they want to
stay here and continue education. So, we decided to take some time,"
says Hejinian, who teaches Arabic language, mathematics and History
of Religion. (in Armenian) at the school. Each religion lesson begins
with the Lord's Prayer.
"We are here and we feel secure," the teacher says.
From: A. Papazian