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Teachers from the Armenian Diaspora, who were participating in a training programme organized by the Ministry of Science and Culture of Armenia, received certificates on July 28. The ceremony took place at Armenian State Pedagogical University.
During the training course consisting of 120 academic hours, 62 teachers from 16 countries were trained in different educational groups for kindergartens, elementary education centres, one-day schools, teaching of Armenian Language and Literature, organization of additional education as well as for teaching students who study Armenian at foreign universities.
Ara Yeremyan, ASPU Vice-Rector for Personnel and International Cooperation, thanked the teachers for participating in the training programme and their mission to preserve national identity in the Diaspora, assuring everyone that they are ‘ambassadors of the Armenian Language in their host countries.’
Arkadi Papoyan, Head of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora Department at the Ministry of Education and Science, expressed hope that the participants would be able to preserve the knowledge acquired during the one-month course and take it to other countries. He added that the participants’ proposals enabled them to outline new ways of solving problems and improving the annual training course. Mr. Papoyan is hopeful that the number of training participants will gradually increase for the benefit of reinforcing Armenia-Diaspora ties.
“Your readiness and desire to learn and work allow us to look back on the path we have passed together with pride. Our aim is to meet on the same path again to open together the closed doors before children – an important link between us and you: they are our future,” said Professor Suren Danielyan, Director of “Spyurk” (Diaspora) Educational Centre.
The professor assured everyone that the doors of the University are open to Diaspora Armenian teachers and they did not say good-bye to them, rather, they welcomed the permanent presence of Diaspora Armenian teachers at the Pedagogical University.
“The sorrow of farewell is a sign of love,” Ashot Galstyan, Dean of the Faculty of Philology, said citing famous Armenian writer Avetik Ishkhanyan. He added that the month-long course reflected love for Homeland and Mother Tongue. “Open the doors of your Homeland with Armenian, it is the only key to it,” he stressed.
On behalf of the participants, Moscow-based teacher Tamara Matevosyan thanked the organizers and trainers, assuring everyone that they are doing their upmost to fill the hearts of their separated compatriots with love for Homeland. “There is nothing better for a Diaspora teacher than the warmth and love for Homeland. We are returning with our activity, unselfish love and dedication to carry out teachers’ historical mission,” she said.
Tamara Matevosyan said being and staying a teacher in the Diaspora is a manifestation of patriotism, because ‘wherever you live, your eyes are fixed at your Homeland.’ She called on her colleagues to do everything possible not to make our homeland ‘a coin in relations with superpowers.’ “Let's become the important link that keeps the Homeland-Diaspora relations strong,” she said.
French-Armenian teacher Mkrtich Pasman believes that if the teachers gathered from 16 countries are concerned about the fate of Armenian pupils, they should join hands and awaken the sleeping lion in every Armenian child, feed it, giving wings to jump.
“It was a great pleasure for me to live in Armenia and learn Armenian. I am sure that there will always be a lot of Armenians,” foreign student Valery Malishev said in Armenian. He thanked both the organizers and the mentors.
Let us note that extracurricular activities, visits to museums and trips to Armenian historical and cultural sites were organized for the visiting teachers during the month-long course.
