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School for Syrian-Armenian Kids Forges Ahead in Yerevan
by Khatchig Mouradian
http://www.armenianweekly.com/2013/03/04/school-syria/
March 4, 2013
YEREVAN (A.W.) - More than 300 Syrian-Armenian children who fled Aleppo
in recent months are now studying at a school in Yerevan, and
following the Syrian curriculum.
Children getting ready for class after recess (Photo by Khatchig Mouradian)
Operating since 2012, the Giligian School (grades 1 to 9) is situated
in a wing of the Nar-Tos Number 14 School in Yerevan, and caters to
Syrian-Armenian students. While their parents struggle to secure the
basic needs of their family, the daily routine of the school provides
a sense of normalcy to the children.
Over the past few months, the number of students continued to grow as
more and more families arrived in Armenia. The influx slowed down
earlier this year, as flights between Aleppo and Yerevan were
discontinued.
The class schedule for second graders. (Photo: The Armenian Weekly)
Still, several new students enroll in the school every week, school
principal Nora Pilibbossian told Armenian Weekly editor Khatchig
Mouradian in an interview. Syrian-Armenian families are arriving in
Armenia by way of Lebanon. Others, however, are leaving, as families
move to Europe, the Emirates, or other countries after a few months'
stop in Armenia.
The average size of a class is around 30 students, with certain
classrooms holding many more; the 7-9th grades accommodate more than
40 students each. Most of the classes here are taught in Arabic,
except the Armenian-, English-, and French-language classes (the
latter for students in grades 7-9).
Considering the difficulty of acquiring textbooks from Syria in large
numbers, photocopies are often made and distributed to students.
Buses rented by the school pick them up in the morning from different
neighborhoods in and around Yerevan, and drop them back off in the
afternoon. The school bus system is uncommon in Armenia, where most
local children go to schools in their own neighborhoods or use public
transportation.
The U.S.-based Giligian Paresiragan Miutyun sponsors the school, which
also accepts donations from individuals and groups willing to help. In
turn, the Armenian Ministry of the Diaspora and the Ministry of
Science and Education provide moral and administrative support.
Interested donors can sponsor students or help defray transportation costs.
Challenges ahead
`Even the evening before the school opened its doors, there were some
who doubted this project would take off,' said Pilibbossian. But take
off it did, and it continues to operate seamlessly.
The school's report card (Photo: The Armenian Weekly)
Yet, the future of the school, as well as that of the hundreds of
Syrian-Armenian families who have fled their homes and found refuge in
Armenia, Lebanon, and beyond, remains fraught with challenges and
uncertainties.
Here in Yerevan, many families are still struggling to find proper
housing, jobs, and some semblance of normalcy. Yet, education remains
at the center of their attention. One parent told the Weekly how,
before the Giligian School opened, the children were staying at home
all day.
`We tried sending the kids to a local school, but they had
difficulties adapting to the curriculum,' Raffi, a parent of three,
said. `We then tried home-schooling, but with everything else we have
to sort out, that didn't really work out either.'
While many see the school as a blessing, they also realize that it is
only a temporary solution. `We will return to Syria the day after
hostilities cease, and we want our children to continue their
education there without experiencing difficulty,' another parent said.
Others doubt that it will be possible to return soon - or at all - and
acknowledge that steps must be taken at the school to prepare the
students for integration into the local education system, where
Eastern Armenian - with considerable differences from the Western
Armenian dialect the children speak - and Russian are the main languages
of instruction.
by Khatchig Mouradian
http://www.armenianweekly.com/2013/03/04/school-syria/
March 4, 2013
YEREVAN (A.W.) - More than 300 Syrian-Armenian children who fled Aleppo
in recent months are now studying at a school in Yerevan, and
following the Syrian curriculum.
Children getting ready for class after recess (Photo by Khatchig Mouradian)
Operating since 2012, the Giligian School (grades 1 to 9) is situated
in a wing of the Nar-Tos Number 14 School in Yerevan, and caters to
Syrian-Armenian students. While their parents struggle to secure the
basic needs of their family, the daily routine of the school provides
a sense of normalcy to the children.
Over the past few months, the number of students continued to grow as
more and more families arrived in Armenia. The influx slowed down
earlier this year, as flights between Aleppo and Yerevan were
discontinued.
The class schedule for second graders. (Photo: The Armenian Weekly)
Still, several new students enroll in the school every week, school
principal Nora Pilibbossian told Armenian Weekly editor Khatchig
Mouradian in an interview. Syrian-Armenian families are arriving in
Armenia by way of Lebanon. Others, however, are leaving, as families
move to Europe, the Emirates, or other countries after a few months'
stop in Armenia.
The average size of a class is around 30 students, with certain
classrooms holding many more; the 7-9th grades accommodate more than
40 students each. Most of the classes here are taught in Arabic,
except the Armenian-, English-, and French-language classes (the
latter for students in grades 7-9).
Considering the difficulty of acquiring textbooks from Syria in large
numbers, photocopies are often made and distributed to students.
Buses rented by the school pick them up in the morning from different
neighborhoods in and around Yerevan, and drop them back off in the
afternoon. The school bus system is uncommon in Armenia, where most
local children go to schools in their own neighborhoods or use public
transportation.
The U.S.-based Giligian Paresiragan Miutyun sponsors the school, which
also accepts donations from individuals and groups willing to help. In
turn, the Armenian Ministry of the Diaspora and the Ministry of
Science and Education provide moral and administrative support.
Interested donors can sponsor students or help defray transportation costs.
Challenges ahead
`Even the evening before the school opened its doors, there were some
who doubted this project would take off,' said Pilibbossian. But take
off it did, and it continues to operate seamlessly.
The school's report card (Photo: The Armenian Weekly)
Yet, the future of the school, as well as that of the hundreds of
Syrian-Armenian families who have fled their homes and found refuge in
Armenia, Lebanon, and beyond, remains fraught with challenges and
uncertainties.
Here in Yerevan, many families are still struggling to find proper
housing, jobs, and some semblance of normalcy. Yet, education remains
at the center of their attention. One parent told the Weekly how,
before the Giligian School opened, the children were staying at home
all day.
`We tried sending the kids to a local school, but they had
difficulties adapting to the curriculum,' Raffi, a parent of three,
said. `We then tried home-schooling, but with everything else we have
to sort out, that didn't really work out either.'
While many see the school as a blessing, they also realize that it is
only a temporary solution. `We will return to Syria the day after
hostilities cease, and we want our children to continue their
education there without experiencing difficulty,' another parent said.
Others doubt that it will be possible to return soon - or at all - and
acknowledge that steps must be taken at the school to prepare the
students for integration into the local education system, where
Eastern Armenian - with considerable differences from the Western
Armenian dialect the children speak - and Russian are the main languages
of instruction.