On 21 March, Iravaban.net has published an article “We are collecting Money Half of the Month; It makes 100.000 to 150,000 AMD in a Month: Parent informs about collecting Money at School“. In order to clarify the circulating news, as well as the problem, the editorial office tried to contact the school directorate, but was unsuccessful. After the publication of the article, on 22 March, Ms Gayane Mirzoyan, Director of Yerevan Basic School #11 named after Monte Melkonyan, contacted Iravaban.net, answered the media’s questions and presented the school’s position regarding the report.

А parent raised the issue about both collecting money and making the children to clean the class spaces before and after school.

– Is there collecting money at Basic School #11 named after Monte Melkonyan?

– There can be no such thing; I say that the school takes care of the problems of the means of cleaning up: economic, stationary, etc., there is no such thing that we tell the parents, you bring this or that things.

– You mentioned that you warned the parents not to collect money even for the 8 March and other holidays, but the Parents’ Committee seems to have decided that they should collect money, and the form-teachers did not object either.

– I say: that prior to all holidays either 8 March, Teacher’s Day, etc., I convene meetings in my hall informing to refrain from such things, and that we do not need this. The teachers and form-teachers sign it. I call the Chairpersons of the Parents’ Committees, ask, request and persuade them, take signatures not to do so, and that we do not need this. Raise/educate your children so that they do not say to my teacher: “Hey, who is this?” It will be both a flower and a candy for us. I only urge them to send well raised children and to fallow them. I mention many times that school-pupil-parent trinity is the key to success in our work, all the rest are thousandths categories. Keep an eye on your children.

In a conversation with us, the director mentioned regarding the cleanliness that there was and is duty, which is a type of education as well. “Who says that the children shall spill and the cleaning lady should clean whatever they had thrown, the cleaning lady is doing her job, but that does not mean that the child should show arbitrary attitude, disregarding the cleaner’s work, and turn the classroom into a dump.”

In response to our question, whether it is true that the children come earlier, prior to the first lesson to clean, the director said: “How can they come before the lessons? We are an overburdened school, there are not enough classrooms, so what should happen if they come early, should there be empty classrooms for them to come and clean? Children begin coming to school at 08:00-08:10 in the morning, but do they come to clean? Of course no.”

According to her, this issue is regularly addressed at parents’ meetings, saying that “Will it be OK for your children to have the qualities of cleaning and seeing the surroundings, instead of sitting in the dirt.” According to Mirzoyan, the boys can put the chairs on the table, the girls can clean, and as for the cleaners, they clean thoroughly every Friday.

The director emphasizes: “There is nothing wrong with that, it is a labor education. In other countries, even a first-grader has an obligation to clean the classroom, and when I mention, these are partial cases that the child can do regularly. Glory and honor to the form-teacher who is really able to organize this work effectively, because when you enter the classroom, you immediately feel where there is order and where the work is visible.”

– The whistleblower informed that if the child practices extra with the teacher and pays money, then the teacher puts  ​​higher marks, if not, then not. Has the school witnessed such cases, does it correspond to reality?

– We have an instruction under new standards that a after school training should be organized for a child who lags in classes and that after school training should fill the gap. We successfully apply it. Anyone can come and see the list of children who are lagging, the class schedule, everything.

By the way, the teacher engaged in the after school training is not necessarily the the pupil’s class teacher, because if the pupil does not do well at this teacher maybe he will be able to study better at the other. The after school course is a type that is used in schools according to the law, and the state pays the salary for it in the amount as for a regular class time.

According to Gayane Mirzoyan, there are many pupils who come and say they want to practice, but she forbids doing such things. At the same time, she mentioned that she cannot have all the information, whether the given parent send the child to study outside the school or with the given teacher or not, maybe they practice at home, but this is the problem of the parent and the teacher outside the school.

Summarizing the talk regarding the report, the director stated: “In the end, there is no need to tear apart in the broad sense of the word tear apart. Visit our official website, maybe there you will see what a great job the teacher is doing, making a tour in the city under the rain, because the children are doing design work, they have to collect materials, excursions, invitations, open lessons, and next to all these we have victories as well. Please note that those teachers deserve a flower, giving a flower is also art, culture, a gesture of gratitude. Whatever has hapened, has happened”