On September 14, 2015, the new 2015/16 academic year started in Georgia’s educational institutions. The first bell announcing the beginning of the studies rang also in Georgia’s Armenian Schools. Currently, there are more than 150 educational institutions in Georgia teaching in Armenian. 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 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 2015/16 academic year and told the audience that the school is ready to start the education guided by the slogan the “New Academic Year – New Heights”. She expressed her convinction 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 blessed the people present and delivered a congratulatory speech encouraging the children to study hard and be sure that in the technological 21st century only a good knowledge can guarantee a bright future.

Georgia’s MP Ruslan Poghosyan congratulated the children on behalf of the Georgian government. Karine Manukyan, the Coordinator of National School Projects at the Ministry of Education and Science of Georgia, introduced the changes and news and informed those in attendance that the graduates from the Armenian schools had successfully started the preparatory courses in different institutes of higher education.

Among the guests who congratulated the students were the Editor of the “Vrastan” Newsletter (“Georgia”) Van Baiburtyan, the Director of the “Hayartun” Center of the Armenian Diocese in Georgia, Levon Chidilyan, poetess and translator Anahit Bostanjyan, the President of the Union of Armenians of Georgia, Henrikh Muradyan, the President of the Georgian Armenians’ Union, Narek Bayanduryan, the school’s retired teacher, Norair Baghdasaryan and others.

After the first bell about 300 students went to their classrooms. This year the school has 25 first-graders, 13 of them are the graduates of the “Saint Mesrop Khorenatsi” Preschool of the Armenian Diocese in Georgia. All the Armenian educational institutions in Tbilisi, Samtskhe-Javakheti, Kvemo Kartli and the city of Batumi started the new academic year.