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There are now no schools remaining closed because of the temperature, Narine Hovhannisyan, the head of the department on public education of the Ministry of Education and Science of Armenia, told Panorama.am.
“Ten schools were closed in Armavir during the first week. Now they work,” Hovhannisyan said.

She said the rise of temperature significantly helped in providing sufficient temperature at schools. The Ministry official admits that the classrooms in many schools do not get warmer even after heating for a long time. The ministry considers the boilers and heating system to be old.

“Currently between 17 and 18 degrees heat is provided in all the schools. In case a lower temperature is registered, the Sanitary and Anti-epidemiological Service makes it close. All the schools are warm now due to the warmer weather,” Hovhannisyan added.

One of the schools that remained closed in Armavir Province was in the village Ptghunk. Karapet Artenyan, the village head, told Panorama.am that the school had not been renovated for a long time and that the building is old. In addition, there is no heating system.

“I have spoken to the headmaster. I have told him more burning material was provided; we use heating stoves, there is no calefaction. The temperature was between 12 and 14 degrees in the classrooms. Everything is normal now,” the village head said.

He also added that the school windows are old, the doors do not close hermetically and it is windy in the corridors. Thai is why the temperature could not be raised. The students’ attendance was low in the first week the classes started. It was 60 or 70 percent. It has now grown to over 90 percent.

The village head highlights that in April, a village school will be constructed, too, with the loan the Asian Bank gave out. 

“The ministry officials were here a few days ago. The construction of the new school will kick off in April. We have the new project, the agreements, everything. By God’s will, we will have a new school,” the village head said.