Groundbreaking-New school in Dilijan to provide unique learning experience in Armenia

[londontsi]

Re: Groundbreaking-New school in Dilijan to provide unique learning experience in Arm

There was absolutly no good reason to deny this project, its just uneducated stupidity!

The opposition is spearheaded by the Armenian intellectuals who see further than the the man on the street.

They have lived through that regime which they are opposing.

Calling these people "uneducated stupidity" says a lot about you rather than about them.

[KarotheGreat]

Re: Groundbreaking-New school in Dilijan to provide unique learning experience in Arm

Right!!!

Londontsi said, “Armenia needs investment to produce goods and services rather than investment to export its people.”.

History showed that we are the very nation that this far was able to give a birth to great scientists, linguists, chessmasters etc.

There is no need to close Armenian schools making our teachers unemployed and invite/employ foreign teaches to create dumb “elite” that can buy the “diplomas” whenever their intellectual abilities doesn’t afford it and showing up them claim that; they are "clever".

One should be ashamed calling this “investment”. This investment in fact will deprive Armenians from Armenian culture, when our nation would be affected by the “elite” for decades, as it was with Russian language recently.

This far we didn’t have that kind of schools, but we had great number of vivid examples of foreign language experts and they are the ones that know Armenian language perfectly as a native one and therefore have been able to produce excellent examples of translated books famous worldwide historically.

Please don’t try to produce “skewed language” monkeys out of Armenian talented children. Our children had been distinguished at learning foreign languages in past; world knows it.

What are you talking about, the Armenian people would not lose jobs but jobs would have been created. And there would have been an investment of 60 million dollar. That is the problem here and please stop the fear mongering one school with an different language would not have made a difference. And people here seem to forget that Armenian was going to be thought there.

A similar regime of so called elite schools existed in Armenia.
These schools were Russian schools where Armenian kids were deprived of learning their culture.

One of the complaints that frequently mentioned during debates is that it was divisive policy.

Due to their "elite" nature and reputation kids educated in these schools developed an attitude of
superiority where they looked down on others who were educated in Armenian schools.

Why don't we listen to people who have lived through that regime and the reasons for their opposition.

Money if used wisely can work wonders.

Why can't the money be used for superior Armenian schools rather than superior non Armenian schools.

If you're talking about the Soviet times it was one of the best times for the Armenian people. If you're in Armenia go and ask people what they think about those times.

And the reason why I wont listen to their opposition is because it causes a loss for Armenia, this is a loss for Armenia, a loss of 60 million and a loss of jobs.

And right now people use money and other things to look down on people. So how is this different than education? People will use every reason to feel superior towards other people.

The opposition is spearheaded by the Armenian intellectuals who see further than the the man on the street.

They have lived through that regime which they are opposing.

Calling these people "uneducated stupidity" says a lot about you rather than about them.

I hope those intellectuals can replace the loss for Armenia because an foreign country is going to get the jobs and the money. And if you think that one school with 200 Armenian students would have made any difference in Armenia and the language is just wrong but what is right that this is a loss that Armenia can't use.

[Tigranakert]

Re: Groundbreaking-New school in Dilijan to provide unique learning experience in Arm

Armenian friends, after a while it should be obvious that gegev and levon are just pessimistic humans who are good at critizising just everything that has to do with Armenia, just read all their previous posts.

Their arguments are just nonsense. The sixty-million dollar investment is not the money of the Armenian government, but an brilliant and respected man (for his non-corruptness and his genius) in Russia named Ruben Vardanian. Therefore, you can not claim he should give his own money to something else. It's simple, or he would have build an (elite is the wrong word) renowned international school in Armenia (which almost every country in the world has), or there would be nothing. I would prefer to chose the first one.

Pessimistic people are one of the biggest dangers to Armenia, as they stop progress. ''Rich elite children will remain spoiled'', even if 5 children a year (children most probably from rich families who will study at the best universities in the world) would fall in love in Armenia or because of their experience in Armenia (again we are talking mostly about non-Armenians or Armenians from the Diaspora) would start a business in Armenia in the future or will even live in Armenia in the future, the project could be called an immense succes.

It is not about quantity, but about quality, as even one person called Monte Melkonian was so important for our nation (who says there is no change that by this program some Diaspora-Armenian will play a decisive role in the future of Armenia, everything is possible). Every such thing should be encouraged, especially because 400 of the 600 are non-Armenians or Armenians from the Diaspora who would have not studied in Armenia either way. Again, most of you probably don't know that dozens of ''rich'' Armenians study in an international school in Thailand every year? Why should we let them go to Thailand, it would have been better if we had a renowned international school in Armenia too.

And the discussion is not about other foreign-language schools, as I too am against opening of low-quality Russian foreign-language schools, but this is about the International School of Dilijian directed by a succesful non-corrupt brilliant and well respected businessman.

People talk about ''Armenian this, Armenian that'', but the education system in Armenia is not pro-Armenian, a lot of my friends haven't even read about GAREGIN NZJDEH, if you guys are so worried and are good at only complaining, go do your best to fight for a more pro-Armenian education system WHICH CURRENTLY DOES NOT EXCIST.

A pro-Armenian national ideology is another thing which should be created and well coordinated to be taught at all the schools in Armenia, the current state of ''pro-Armenian'' education is total chaos.

Millions of Armenians have learned other languages at school, are they no Armenian? Was Monte Melkonian no Armenian? Even I myself have studied at ''foreign-language'' schools in the Diaspora, but the one thing that changed my life is when I visited Armenia, as I see could see the beauty of our country and culture through my own eyes. The foreign language I was taught did not obstruct this. It's important for young Armenian children (or even non-Armenians) to visit Armenia and to experience Armenia, not just to hear/read about it.

Only thing people are against is that some parents decide to send their children (200) to a school which has courses in Armenian history and language, but whose main language is in English (I do not think they are so dumb to suddenly forget Armenian, the school is in Armenia for **** sake). No, they prefer the 200 children to be sent to other countries, I have never seen them complaining about this fact. Just ridiculous.

[levon]

Re: Groundbreaking-New school in Dilijan to provide unique learning experience in Arm

Dont bother with Levon. He prefers to have Armenia's schools to produce sahmanapag people like himself so they can claim we dont need change in Armenia.

You can call me sahmanapag, but unlike you and others, I haven't traded my thing for a vag!n@ as you have.

If we dont need change in Armenia then i wonder why mr levon left? Makes you wonder doesn't it?

Mr Levon was perfectly happy in Armenia going to Phys-Math and winning the 3rd place in the national math olympiad. The circumstances that brought him to the US were out of his control.

[levon]

Re: Groundbreaking-New school in Dilijan to provide unique learning experience in Arm

Are you kidding me, in Armenia every one wants to be goxakan, most of them don't care about school or education. Everyone wants to come to Europe or America and become rich. There is a small minority that cares, the majority doesn't care.

So, let me guess, you are 14-16 years old, and have likely hung around in Armenia with others of the same age. Well, most teenagers are rebellious. Most of them grow out of it. Teens in Armenia are no different. Plus, everyone wants to be rich, and for the future, don't form opinions based on what you've heard your 13 year old cousin (or whatever other kid you heard it from).

It i a loss of 60 million, that is not being invested in Armenia. 200 people could work on it to build it, 30-40 teacher could have a job there, kitchen staff, gardeners etc. And all the building material would also be bought in Armenia so it is a loss for Armenia. A big loss, that it can't afford right now.

It's not a big loss, and Armenia can surely afford it right now. Trust me, when I was living there, things were much much worse than how things are right now. Progress doesn't happen overnight. However, if we clinch to every little bit of cash, and prostitute our culture for the employement of 200 manual laborers and 30-40 teachers, then sooner we'll disappear culturally than grow economically.

Where will you get the money from, tell me that. Where will you find the people to invest in those schools? It's easy to say that they should build specialized schools, but it's an other thing to find the funds for it. So you don't think 60 million would have helped Armenia because it made money for the investors? What do you think about foreign investors opening businesses in Armenia? Is that also bad because they make money from it?

Read my last post, as I've said Phys-Math in Yerevan is supported with private funds, and the Phys-Math in Artsakh (that was built in the late 90's) also had private funding.

Out of those 400 if there are a couple that want to help Armenia it's better than what we have now.

WOW, so you're suggesting we ignore the close to 20,000-30,000 Armenian youth that graduate from high schools every year in favor of a "couple" of foreign students? WOW

Armenia has got enough scientist, what it now needs are economists, politicians and smart business men that are ready to make money in the world of today. If Armenia is not ready to compete with the rest of the world Armenia will improve a lot slower than it could.

Business starts with innovation. If you skip innovation you create a situation like the one that brought about the recession where the prime motivation was money making (all encouraged by so called economists and smart business men) without regards to possible future consequences.

With innovation, one can see companies such as HP, GE, Microsoft, etc that can survive through recessions because their business is built on innovation. Armenia does have many scientists, but doesn't have nearly enough funding for them to make sure that each scientists is able to make the most of his intelligence. A small country like Armenia will not benefit from business men that just want to make money, but from scientists who will be able to bring in new innovative technologies. Don't forget, one of Armenia's biggest exports is intelligence, and that is the trend that needs reversal, and it cannot be done without more funding for research and development.

Is the situation of today good? With an elite school and forced military training and service a lot can be improved. What we have now in Armenia needs to change or we will destroy ourselves from within.

An elite school will only reinforce the belief that those attending the school are the elite, and thus need everyone to be subservient for them. Change is good, but only if that change will benefit Armenia. Elite schools taught in foreign language will only make "Armenian speakers" become "commoners" as the "elite" will be using a "foreign" language. If you study the English language, you'll note that it has much more irregularities than say French, precisely because for a long time English was the language of "commoners". That's not a pleasant situation to bring about in Armenia.

[gegev]

Re: Groundbreaking-New school in Dilijan to provide unique learning experience in Arm

Armenian friends, after a while it should be obvious that gegev and levon are just pessimistic humans who are good at critizising just everything that has to do with Armenia, just read all their previous posts. Their arguments are just nonsense.

Most of my posts are optimistic/positive, please read before making statements. I accept that you are clever, but unfortunetly your arguments are not supported by strong facts, as usual.

People talk about ''Armenian this, Armenian that'', but the education system in Armenia is not pro-Armenian, a lot of my friends haven't even read about GAREGIN NZJDEH, if you guys are so worried and are good at only complaining, go do your best to fight for a more pro-Armenian education system WHICH CURRENTLY DOES NOT EXCIST..

Note please that Armenian educational system is one of the sound and recognized ones worldwide; given our scientific achievements and potential. Today it is a little bit weakened, but still it is better than the educational system of the country you are located. I’m absolutely sure.

Even I myself have studied at ''foreign-language'' schools in the Diaspora, but the one thing that changed my life is when I visited Armenia, as I see could see the beauty of our country and culture through my own eyes. The foreign language I was taught did not obstruct this. It's important for young Armenian children (or even non-Armenians) to visit Armenia and to experience Armenia, not just to hear/read about it....

The people you are talking about I consider good Armenians, but unfortunately they can’t neither translate things from English into Armenian or visa versa nor comprehend Armenian books perfectly. This is why I suggest, no offence, our Diaspora Armenians to send their children to Armenian language schools (if possible) and only then they can study the other “International” (as you put it down) languages to be able to become useful/wanted to take part in Armenia’s development.

Note please that we are talking about school: if children take the full course of Armenian language at school and then they take English language university courses: Otherwise they can be very useful only for the country, whose language they learned at school and know it perfectly: therefore they wouldn’t be very useful for Armenia/Armenians with their poor Armenian language skills.

This is the reason that you can’t be very useful for Armenia in terms of educational, cultural and other kinds of development, but you can contribute in other areas; which are not related with interacting with Armenian native language population and Armenian books. But your son after taking Armenian language at High School and only then learning other thing he/she would like at Universities, will become very influential and useful person in Armenia.

Please don’t consider this as a counter attack: this is what I and most of my friends, who live in Yerevan, Armenia, think.

Bye!

[Haykakan]

Re: Groundbreaking-New school in Dilijan to provide unique learning experience in Arm

You can call me sahmanapag, but unlike you and others, I haven't traded my thing for a vag!n@ as you have.



Mr Levon was perfectly happy in Armenia going to Phys-Math and winning the 3rd place in the national math olympiad. The circumstances that brought him to the US were out of his control.

That is funny Levon. Your insult reflects your sahmanapagutyun thoroghly. Those circumstances which were out of your control are exectly what would change with investments such as this. You are arguing against the very things that would solve Armenias problems and keep Armenians employed and financialy viable in Armenia. There would have been no ill effects from opening such a scholl, its consequences would have only been positive for Armenia and its people.

[Haykakan]

Re: Groundbreaking-New school in Dilijan to provide unique learning experience in Arm

"Diaspora Armenians to send their children to Armenian language schools (if possible)"
Do you really think that a school like AGBU would teach Armenian languadge and culture better then the school in question? Those who would have attended this school would have had the best Armenian languadge and history teachers available. I know many people who attended AGBU from kiddygarden till graduation and they cant speak Armenian worth a crap!

[levon]

Re: Groundbreaking-New school in Dilijan to provide unique learning experience in Arm

Armenian friends, after a while it should be obvious that gegev and levon are just pessimistic humans who are good at critizising just everything that has to do with Armenia, just read all their previous posts.

You are an Armenian from iran who emmigrated to the Netherlands (correct?) yet you find that you know more about life in Armenia, Armenian culture, and what Armenia needs than people who live there, or people who currently live there.

There is no pessimism in resisting those who are ready to prostitute a nation's culture for mere bits of economic gain.

Their arguments are just nonsense. The sixty-million dollar investment is not the money of the Armenian government, but an brilliant and respected man (for his non-corruptness and his genius) in Russia named Ruben Vardanian. Therefore, you can not claim he should give his own money to something else. It's simple, or he would have build an (elite is the wrong word) renowned international school in Armenia (which almost every country in the world has), or there would be nothing. I would prefer to chose the first one.

I'm sure you and KaroTheGreat do not understand my argument. I haven't yet claimed that he should give his money away, I only asserted that one cannot call the "lost 60 million" a real loss unless it was to be invested into the creation and maintenance of 8 specialized schools. Read carefully what you respond to because you're starting to sound like your good friend haykakan, who loves to make arguments on imaginary points pulled from his opponents.

Pessimistic people are one of the biggest dangers to Armenia, as they stop progress. ''Rich elite children will remain spoiled'', even if 5 children a year (children most probably from rich families who will study at the best universities in the world) would fall in love in Armenia or because of their experience in Armenia (again we are talking mostly about non-Armenians or Armenians from the Diaspora) would start a business in Armenia in the future or will even live in Armenia in the future, the project could be called an immense succes.

I get it, your strategy is to claim that I'm a pessimist, then claim that pessimists are a danger to Armenia, therefore I'm a danger to Armenia and hence no one should take my arguments seriously.

You are very predictable; however, your style of creating arguments is very similar to how feminists behave. I guess it has to do with being schooled in the Netherlands, one of the worlds most feminist infested countries.

It is not about quantity, but about quality, as even one person called Monte Melkonian was so important for our nation (who says there is no change that by this program some Diaspora-Armenian will play a decisive role in the future of Armenia, everything is possible).

True, but I think we better rely on Armenians first, then others later.

Every such thing should be encouraged, especially because 400 of the 600 are non-Armenians or Armenians from the Diaspora who would have not studied in Armenia either way.

Nothing is stopping Armenians in Diaspora to come and study in Armenia. An elite school should not be the reason those students should come to Armenia to study.

Again, most of you probably don't know that dozens of ''rich'' Armenians study in an international school in Thailand every year? Why should we let them go to Thailand, it would have been better if we had a renowned international school in Armenia too.

If we had a renowned international school in Armenia, those "rich" Armenians would still study in international schools in Thailand, or wherever else. They do it not because they want a good education, but because they just want to have some fun.

People talk about ''Armenian this, Armenian that'', but the education system in Armenia is not pro-Armenian, a lot of my friends haven't even read about GAREGIN NZJDEH, if you guys are so worried and are good at only complaining, go do your best to fight for a more pro-Armenian education system WHICH CURRENTLY DOES NOT EXCIST.

A graduate of Phys-Math will be equipped with all the mental abilities to succeed in any top Secondary school anywhere in the world. We need more of these schools, as they'll produce the teachers needed to have a better education system, not "brillian russian businessmen"

[levon]

Re: Groundbreaking-New school in Dilijan to provide unique learning experience in Arm

That is funny Levon. Your insult reflects your sahmanapagutyun thoroghly.

I'm glad you find me amusing. The truth is funny sometimes, isn't it.

Those circumstances which were out of your control are exectly what would change with investments such as this.

No, the circumstance were that a PHD in Physics, and a PHD in Biochemistry working in the nationally funded institutes couldnt make enough money to support a family of 5. When a PHD was getting the same salary as a day laborer is when you know that there isn't nearly enough investment in science. Intelligence is Armenia's biggest export and it needs to be stopped.

Creating "elite" schools don't create more opportunities for researchers to innovate in their fields of study.

Opening an "elite" school will not create more funding for science.