Activists call on MPs to vote against foreign-language schools

A local advocacy group has criticized the parliament's move to discuss the bill that envisages re-opening of foreign-language schools in Armenia, calling on MPs to make their decisions based on their own conscience.

In a statement released today, the group called "We are against the Opening of Foreign-Language Schools" expressed regret that despite all the demonstrations against the initiative, the parliament is not only going to debate the amendments to the Law on Language and Law on Public Education, but also to vote in favor of those amendments in the second reading.

"Don't let the ungifted outgoing officials to finally destroy our education with this step," reads the statement. "They are leaving [their positions], while you still have a year in office to be followed by elections when we promise you to remind you of the good things, if you vote against the bill, and of the bad ones, should you decide to vote for it."

It comes after the National Assembly started to debate the draft laws late on Monday at the extraordinary session that started last week.

Pointing to the fact that there have already been precedents when some MPs disobeyed instructions and acted with their own conscience, the group said that those MPs should simply remain committed to their principles and vote against those amendments for the sake of our "national heritage and decent future."