NEW MANDATORY NOTEBOOKS IN ARMAVIR COST MORE

200 9/04/02|13:46

Important society

This year pupils throughout Armavir Marz have to mandatorily carry
notebooks made specifically for the region. The new note books
feature the words "For High Schools in Armavir Marz" emblazoned on
their covers.

We weren’t able to find out the reason for the new notebooks. The
only difference between these and the ones sold in the shops is the
price. Those found in the shops cost 300 drams while the new mandated
notebooks cost 450 drams.

Another difference between the two is that on the last page of those
sold in the shops the name of the printer is listed along with an
address and telephone number. Ther new "official" books merely note
the name of the "Zatik Nar" printer, without any address of phone.

trying to get more information on "Zatik Nar", we went to the Armavir
Tax Department and were told by department head Haykoush Lazarian
that a company with the same name was registered with them and that
it was operating somewhere in Armavir. She stated that she didn’t
have the right to give us any further information about the company;
where it was located or who the owners were.

Zhora Baghdasaryan, who coordinates educational affairs in Etchmiadzin,
told us that a similar practice had been tried in other regions of
the country and that they are now trying to incorporate Armavir into
the process. Mr. Baghdasaryan couldn’t pinpoint those regions where
such a process had taken place, noting that he had only heard that
this was the case.

The parents we spoke to said that school officials haven’t yet
pressured them into buying the new notebooks and have only suggested
that they do. Parents were convinced however that the books would
become mandatory by the start of the new school year in September.

One parent we spoke to had bought several of the new notebooks for
her two children. The mother said she was already thinking ahead. "You
never know what they’ll be charging come September," she argued.