While talking with the school principals and hearing the same comment
being made (“That’s the same as when we say that the police officers
take money. Isn’t there one normal officer among them? We can say the
same for us …”) and other expressions, you tend to understand that it
is not always when parents’ complaints and principals’ justifications
are true. Many parents sit at home, tell their neighbors, friends and
acquaintances that the “school wants money again” but when it comes
time to pay, they pay without saying a word claiming that there is no
alternative. In reality, there are always alternatives-either don’t pay
or understand why you are paying. The school teachers justify
themselves by saying that the money collected is for the children.
After all, the school is being remodeled, the classroom needs chalk for
the blackboard, birthdays and field trips get organized, the school
books are paid for….what else differentiates state schools from private
ones?
Let’s know right from wrong
According to chief of the education department of the city council Onik
Vatyan, the money collected at school is primarily foreseen for
remodeling the school. Armenia’s Social Investment Fund has made a
contribution of 660,000,000 drams for remodeling the schools.
“The Social Investment Fund’s charter states that the parents have to
pay at least 10% of the whole amount contributed by the fund,” says Mr.
Vatyan, “money will be collected every year if the school participates
in this project or other international projects. Many ask: Is this
right or wrong? I can only say one thing. This is an ungrateful job.
Another thing-the school teachers have to fully explain to the parents
the full purpose of collecting money.”
Principal of school #83 Manvel Papoyan gets furious when they “mix
right with wrong”. He understands that as of today, one part of the
school’s expenses is put on the parents shoulders. He also understands
that not everyone can pay, that is why no money is charged from
students of needy families. From his school, 1500 dram has been
collected from each student and until today no parent has complained.
“The problem is that there are principals who see that the school is in
a bad condition, refuse to collect money from the students so that they
won’t blame him later on. Then on the other hand, there are parents who
wish to see their children studying in a school with good conditions.
In order to avoid further conversations, the principal must inform the
parents about the situation. When the principal does not explain the
reasons why or when he collects it and sees no result, the parents see
all that. School is not the place where you can make money.”
It is always possible to pay. “My grandchild studies at the #114
school. During this school year, they have already collected 3000 dram
so the hallway can be remodeled,” said the grandmother of one of the
school’s students who did not wish to say the name of her grandchild
due to problems later on. “I do not participate at all in the process
of collecting money and I have set firm grounds for that. My grandchild
is an exception. They can not pressure her. I have psychological talks
with her and tell her that she is above all the rest whether she pays
or not. She has shown that by her studies. She is an excellent student.
It is better to focus on studies and not go after all of this.”
“Collecting money has its limits”
Of course, collecting money seems logical when it is done logically
(heating, classroom cleaning, etc), but some school principals can get
way out of line and start collecting money from students for the
remodeling of the bathroom and then forbid the students from using it.
“They collected money for the adult bathroom but they did not let us
use that one,” says the excellent student of the #114 school who does
not participate in the money collecting. “Now they made one for the
children and let them use it. But it is very dirty.” The same student
is complaining that her teachers force her to buy the “Aghbyur”
magazine which costs 120 dram, according to the school principal: “You
have no right not to buy that magazine. My parents buy it every month,
but I do not read it. But when you tell the teacher that the magazine
doesn’t interest you, they get mad and claim that you have to read it
whether you like it or not.
“You can not blame the teacher or the principal for insisting the
student to read, or buy a concert ticket. After all, students of today
are so far away from going to the theatre, concerts, reading books and
magazines that perhaps the only way for them to get educated is to
force them. But the staff of the school has to take into consideration
the fact that the show or magazine must be at least interesting for the
student. Our school’s students are shown in the “Aghbyur” magazine. I
don’t think that we are doing anything bad by selling the magazine to
the students,” said principal of the #114 school Ruzanna Kostanyan and
said the following in contrast to the school student: “The magazines
are given to those who want them.”
Is it a school or a market?
Today, as many parents count how much money they give to the school,
they begin to ponder: “What is the difference between state and private
schools? Especially, when there is hope that at least the private
schools are high-quality while the state schools have a low level of
education.”
What does it all sum up? For 10 consecutive years, the parent of the
student pays the school not for high-quality education, but simply for
a piece of chalk, a blackboard, a door, remodeling of bathrooms and
other small projects, which, of course are necessary for the school but
not a priority. The chief of the education department of the city
council says: “It’s not good that everything is like this, but that’s
the order of things.” However, because of that “order” the school has
turned into a market. If collecting money at school is a standard, then
the parents should not make meaningless complaints and the principals
should not try to make explanations or justifications.