Armenian language faces serious problems in Georgia: Activists unable to raise concerns to Armenian foreign minister

Each year more and more Armenian schools are shut down in Georgia, Coordinator of Tbilisi Assembly of Armenians, Arnold Stepanyan told Tert.am, adding that the first reason the is a decreased number of schoolchildren.

"Today no reforms are being made in the Armenian schools in Georgia; they [the schools] have come to be of poor quality. These schools do not meet the quality [norms] that existed 15 years ago," said Stepanyan apparently concerned about what is happening with Armenian heritage and culture in Georgia.

The Armenian schools are not competitive with the Georgian ones therefore the Georgia-based Armenians prefer to send their children to Georgian and Russian schools.

Further Mr Stepanyan said that the Georgian authorities make obstacles for Armenian schools to make sure they don't have a chance to grow and develop. By doing, according to him, they try to shape an Armenian community which does not require anything and does not strive for anything either.

"A community with poor knowledge [also about its roots and origin] is easy to rule," explained he.

Speaking about the fact that the school classes allotted for the Armenian language and history have recently been reduced at the Armenian schools in Samtskhe-Javakheti and some activist teachers have been sacked for taking measures to preserve the Armenian language there, Stepanyan said that a "fight" has been launched against the Armenian language in Georgia.

He also mentioned that the schools and the language preservation are in serious need in Georgia, especially in Samtskhe-Javakheti - something, according to him that must be addressed at the state level but "Armenia's government does not cooperate with us."

"I wanted to meet with Armenia's foreign minister [Edward Nalbandyan], who recently paid a visit to Georgia, and present the issue to him. Unfortunately, me and those raising Armenians' problems were not given the chance," said Mr Stepanyan, adding that currently there are 150 Armenian schools in Georgia.