On September 15, 2016, the new 2016/17 academic year started in all educational institutions of Georgia. The first bell announcing the beginning of the studies rang also in Tbilisi’s and Georgia’s regional Armenian Schools. Currently, there are more than 130 educational institutions in Georgia teaching in Armenian, with 13 900 students studying there.

Today, in Tbilisi the Armenian Public school № 104 and the public schools with Armenian departments № 132 and №103 opened their doors to Armenian students.

Many NGO leaders and representatives, teachers and graduates visited № 104 Public school on this occasion.

Boys and girls dressed in white shirts and holding beautiful flowers were standing in the school stadium with their parents, grandparents and guests.

After the national anthems of Georgia and Armenia, the Georgian flag was raised and the school anthem was heard. The School Director, Irina Zhamkochyan congratulated everyone on the beginning of the new academic year and expressed her conviction that the new year is going to be interesting and that new plans and ideas are going to be brought to life with the help of the students, teachers and parents.

The Primate of the Armenian Diocese in Georgia, His Grace Bishop Vazgen Mirzakhanyan offered his blessings and congratulated the beginning of a new academic year to the attendees. The Diocesan Primate reflected on the important role of the Armenian School and Church in the preservation of the Armenian identity in the Diaspora. The Bishop extended words of appreciation to the teachers dedicated to the upbringing and education of new generations, the parents, the Diocesan Educational Department, which has the “Saint Movses Khorenatsi” Preschool and it’s students will attend the Armenian Schools; the Hayartun Center, where the Armenian school students enrich their knowledge about the Armenian culture. Bishop Vazgen Mirzakhanyan stressed the opportunity given by the Georgian authorities to be educated in mother language. The Primate encouraged the children to study hard, to use all their strength, to overcome challenges of studying with enthusiasm and be sure that only a good knowledge can guarantee a bright future.

Karine Manukyan, the Coordinator of National School Projects at the Ministry of Education and Science of Georgia, transmitted the congratulatory message from Aleksandre Jejelava, Minister of Education and Science of Georgia, and introduced the changes and news for the new academic year.

Among the guests who congratulated the students were the Director of the “Hayartun” Center of the Armenian Diocese in Georgia, Levon Chidilyan; the Editor of the “Vrastan” Newsletter (“Georgia”) Van Baiburtyan; poetess and translator Anahit Bostanjyan; the President of the Union of Armenians of Georgia, Genrikh Muradyan; Candidate of Philological Sciences, Emma Akhtyan; the Vice President of the Georgian Armenians’ Union, Mari Arakelova; the school’s retired teacher, Norair Baghdasaryan and others. They encouraged the students to face challenges bravely, to study well, to receive Armenian upbringing, to love one’s country and to be a real human being.

After the first bell the first-graders and other students went to their classrooms. This year the school has 300 students; 16 of them are in the 12th grade. The school has 20 first-graders, 10 of them are the graduates of the “Saint Movses Khorenatsi” Preschool of the Armenian Diocese in Georgia.

The new academic year solemnly started in Tbilisi’s Georgian-Armenian Public school № 103, which functions in the building of Public school № 157. The School Director, Archil Chkhaidze congratulated the students on the beginning of the new academic year and announced that starting November the school will move to former, but already renovated building. On behalf of the 12th grade students Anna Hovhannisyan congratulated the first-graders and gifted them with souvenirs.

All the Armenian educational institutions in Samtskhe-Javakheti and Kvemo Kartli started the new academic year.