20:20, 3 January 2024

YEREVAN, JANUARY 3, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan visited Lori Province and got acquainted with the progress of the projects implemented in communities funded by the Government, the PM's Office said.

Nikol Pashinyan's first stop was at Vardablur secondary school, where a new gymnasium was built. The Government allocated more than 237 million AMD for the project. The construction works started in May 2022.

Next, the Prime Minister got acquainted with the construction works of the new gymnasium of Stepanavan N1 school, for which more than 173 million AMD were allocated. During the tour, the Prime Minister recorded various problems and instructed the officials to rectify them in a short period of time.

The Head of the Government visited the Medovka settlement, where during the tour he got acquainted with the works carried out in the newly built modular primary school. Here too, Nikol Pashinyan recorded numerous problems. The Prime Minister made a speech here, in which he specifically stated:

"Dear students,

I'm glad to see you, but I don't congratulate you on the occasion of the new school yet, because I see quality problems.

As of now, we have been to three places and we have quality issues in all three. I can't imagine compromising on quality. And these objects also cannot be accepted and paid for until they meet our standard. Besides, what do we do? We visit a place for just 10-15 minutes, look, if something is visible at the first visual glance, it means that there are bigger problems deep down.

Mr. Ghularyan, here I see a problem related to the management of our programs. Wherever I look, there is a problem. We cannot stand in front of the children, look them in the eyes, and say: we built the school, congratulations, and leave. We have not built the school. This is a half-done job. And I don't see any reason to say anything else at this point. The quality issue should be resolved.

Is there no one from the government, no one from the governor's office, no one from the Urban Development Committee, no one supervises the works? Let's assume we didn't come, we weren't consistent, in what condition this school would be handed over to the children? Wherever I look, it seems that the builder wanted to steal 1000 drams from everywhere. You can't work like that. This is not an attitude. Do we want a kickback from the builder, does he give us money? Why are these people not doing their job? I am dissatisfied. And this is the responsibility of the Urban Development Committee, the responsibility of the construction inspector."

The school has more than 50 students, but it is designed for 144 students. Construction works started in November 2020. In Tashir, the Prime Minister got acquainted with the construction process of the medical center. The government allocated 1 billion 697 million AMD for the construction of a medical center with a capacity of 30 beds. Construction works started in October 2022, scheduled for completion in 2025.

Nikol Pashinyan also visited Hagvi settlement, where the modular building of the primary school was built. The cost of building the school designed for 144 students was more than 780 million AMD. The construction works started in November 2020. The school has a furnished playground, a solar photovoltaic station. Improvement and fencing works were also carried out.

The Prime Minister congratulated the students and teachers on the occasion of the new school. Nikol Pashinyan noted that the students will attend the newly built school from Monday, but the Government will not consider that the work has been completed.

"I think that in our lives in general, and especially in schools, we need to tone down the pathos a little and focus on the task and the work, because sometimes we don't even notice that the pathos is used to cover up the work that has not been done. And we need to focus on work and get out of this half-done mode, because half-doing seems to be our main mode of operation. This building is built for children and teachers, and everything should be adapted to them. It matters what happens in the classrooms. This building is still unfinished, has defects, the property is on the way, we still have to give it a life. We just gave you the cultivated or semi-cultivated land, you must sow, you must cultivate, you must harvest, and of course, the country and the state must also harvest the product.

Compared to the Medovka school, the impression from here is a little better, but there are many shortcomings. Are we underfunded? If we fund less, let's know we fund less. 780 million AMD have been allocated for this school. We must leave this mode of half-doing, this pathos must be overcome. The New Year ended yesterday, the toasts are over, now we need to get down to business," the Prime Minister emphasized.

According to Nikol Pashinyan, inspections are being carried out now and it is visible that the conditions of learning in schools is not so good. Of course, it also has to do with building conditions. "We should give our children the right message. First of all, the child should feel respect for himself. When we put the right architecture in terms of urban development, content, and education, the child will learn well whether he wants it or not. An appropriate environment must be formed.

I really want to address our teachers as well. The role of the teacher is fundamental. In other words, if the teacher is not within this logic, we will have problems."

The Prime Minister demanded from those in charge to be consistent and to provide appropriate solutions to all problems.

The Head of the Government got acquainted with the conditions of the new gymnasiums of primary schools named after Ghevond Alishan No. 27 and Admiral Isakov No. 23 of Vanadzor. The construction works were started in June 2022. The cost of construction of the gymnasium of school No. 27 was 83 million AMD, and for the gymnasium of school no. 23, 251 million 802 thousand AMD, which were allocated from the state budget.

The Prime Minister laid flowers in Vanadzor at the monument dedicated to the memory of the heroes who sacrificed their lives for the motherland.