Lilit Galstyan, a member of the National Assembly from the opposition Hayastan faction, called the possibility of reducing the number of Russian-language classes in Armenian schools political short-sightedness.
According to the deputy, quoted by Sputnik Armenia, teaching Russian cannot be transferred to the realm of political preferences and whims.
“Language is the greatest tool of cultural and political dialogue and should not be underestimated. Education is the most important policy. The current state of relations between Armenia and Russia naturally influences and will continue to influence the spheres of education and culture. This is very noticeable, especially in the case of this government, which has adopted an anti-national way of acting.” – said Galstyan.
As reported EADailyIn Armenia, new state standards for schools came into force in the 2024-2025 academic year. According to the state standard, Russian remains the first and mandatory foreign language for study. In the circular sent by the Ministry of Education for a number of classes, the Russian language was moved from the status of a basic (mandatory) language to the status of a foreign (optional) language. This may lead to a reduction in the hours of teaching the Russian language.
Galstyan links these changes with a change in the political vector. Against the backdrop of the deepening crisis in Armenian-Russian relations, at least in the foreseeable future, he sees no signs of recovery.
However, the MP stressed that Armenia is and will always be linked to Russia by a vast cultural heritage, regardless of the political position of the current Armenian authorities.
