President welcomes Armenian schoolchildren boasting high academic achievment and successful performance in international Olympiads

President Serzh Sargsyan received today graduates of secondary educational institutions of Armenia who won gold medal for high academic achievement in 2014-2015, as well as pupils from the capital and marzes who demonstrated successful performance in international Olympiads for schoolchildren in 2015, including the winners of Kangaroo international mathematical competition and Meghu (Bee)Armenian language competition. At the traditionally-held meeting they were awarded with medals, received certificates and gifts on behalf of the RA President.

The President welcomed them at the Presidential Palace, congratulated and expressed his gratitude for the praise worthy victories, that is, according to him, is a reason for being immeasurably proud of.

The President expressed satisfaction with the results demonstrated by our schoolchildren during the current academic year: “To tell the truth, hadn’t we won medals in international Olympiads, we should have still been satisfied with the participation of our schoolchildren therein. But the results are really impressive. Our schoolchildren returned with 20 medals: 5 silver and 15 bronze. I don’t want to compare the results of our children with the ones of our distant and close neighbors. I used to do that, but now I am firmly convinced that we do not lag behind anyone. To be more precise, even if we are behind, we are in terms of quantity. But we absolutely do not lag behind in terms of knowledge, learning and diligence and we will never do. Moreover, it is gratifying that these results are stable and no one can claim them to be sporadic. The Armenian schoolchildren have been participating in international Olympiads since 1993 and every year we have had progress. What is more, the results of the last four year come to prove that indeed, we achieved stability in this field and the results we have are not fortuitous. Those results are the outcome of both tough but necessary reforms and better efforts of our teachers and parents. And there can be no doubt.

I want to make a very short statement: I instruct Armen Ashotyan, the RA Minister of Education and Science, and Fr. Mesrop Aramian, the adviser to the RA President, to jointly prepare a concept on further development of school Olympic movement in the Republic of Armenia. I think we have already achieved that stage. Indeed, it is also gratifying that the number of gold medalist graduates of secondary schools has grown this year and it is even more enjoyable that the number is growing thanks to our pupils from marzes. It assumes that there are qualified specialists in our schools in marzes as well and that our population in marzes also values and considers it necessary for the schoolchildren to obtain knowledge. Surely, the number of participants of “Kangaroo” and “Meghu” (“Bee”) has also grown, but since almost everybody takes part therein, we should not speak about the numbers in this case. It is satisfying that we have quite many prizewinners.

Dear schoolchildren! Dear youth! Rest assured the Republic of Armenia will do everything for you to acquire knowledge, to have progress, to build on what you already know and become qualified specialists, responsible citizens for the Republic of Armenia and good individuals.

I don’t not how well you are informed but I would like to certify that we allocate the lion’s share of our budget to our defense – the Armenian Army and education. Moreover, you are aware that there is “Luys” Foundation that operates successfully granting scholarship to study at the world's top universities to Armenian students worldwide, to the citizens of the Republic of Armenia in the first place.

Dear children, many thanks to you for such delightful moments. Many thanks to our teachers, your parents for educating and growing you up in a rightful manner. I will disclose a small secret to you, at the meetings with high-ranking officials from foreign states and international institutions as well as when speaking to well-known people there is often a need to present our country and people. That short presentation should be so impressive for the interlocutor to remember it forever. Believe me, in those cases I always bring the example of the achievements of our schoolchildren in the Olympiads. I speak thereof with the same pride as I speak about the successes of both the Armenian army and the Armenian chess players. Dear youth, I expect you to return to this hall in the capacity of a “Luys” foundation scholar, as the winners of RA President Award for young scientists.

I urge you to be optimistic. I am sure that you will be back in this hall, I am sure that you will build on your achievements, that are probably the first serious ones. You have all the preconditions therefor. The knowledge is a blessing and it should serve for beneficence. Believe me the evil cannot yield kind outcomes. Even the victories won through evil have a short life. Knowledge is a prerequisite for becoming a generous individual and a responsible citizen. I wish you to be persistent and optimistic in your life since without those two it is merely impossible to succeed. We all are proud of you. We are proud since your achievements point out that the only source of success is hard work, studying and hunger for new knowledge. And here where our power is coming from. Our power is not coming from national resources- goodwill of nature. Our power is stemming from the youth and children like you.

I wish all of you further success. And once again thank you”, said President Serzh Sargsyan.