Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan partook in the opening ceremony of Basic School N 153 after Rafael Ishkhanyan in Yerevan, his office reported.
The event was attended by Yerevan Mayor Hayk Marutyan, Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure Suren Papikyan, Minister of Education, Science, Culture, Sports Arayik Harutyunyan and others.
Addressing those present, the prime minister said:
“Dear colleagues,
Dear parents, students and first-graders,
I had been asking myself all the way since morning what I could say from this podium that could come of service to you in your daily life. And I had the idea that nothing can be done without good learning in the 21st century. Nowadays children are too critical of everything. They believe, for example, that one can buy a Mercedes G without getting proper education. Yes, it is quite possible to procure a Mercedes G without proper learning, but you cannot conceive a Mercedes G without strong professional skills.
What kind of future do we want for the Republic of Armenia? Do we only want to be a conventional driver of Mercedes G, or do we want to be its designer, its manufacturer? Do we want to be a consumer or an inventor? Yes, one can achieve some material prosperity, but it is impossible to fly into space without education. I want this to be our choice.
What kind of future do we want for you? Do we want you to wake up in the morning, go to your kitchen, open your fridge, see a variety of foods, like sausages, cheeses, jams, or do we want you to wake up in the morning, have a civilized, healthy breakfast and go to the gym or to your daily business?
Dear schoolchildren, I wish all of us and especially you could realize that every minute and every hour we spend at school is crucial. Our living standard, the future of our country depends on how well we use the academic agenda. I do not want to see you looking for luxury, but I want you to seek happiness in daily life. I assure you that in this case material welfare and the good things of life will come to you in such a way that you will not even notice it.”
Nikol Pashinyan emphasized that he wants Armenian schoolchildren to seek happiness, not gold. “Conveying a feeling of happiness to others should be your most important mission, because making others happy is just what makes us truly happy. And I do believe that your and your parents’ dreams are like that,” he said.
The PM said the government’s greatest task is to make education and learning a national way of life in Armenia. The Premier emphasized that learning is the only way to identifying and tackling our problems.
“I want you to be ready to assume much more responsibility tomorrow. Today you are training you body and your mind at school both literally and figuratively, so that tomorrow, when far greater responsibility falls on your shoulders, you could carr...
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