President Armen Sarkissian had an online conversation with the children from the communities-beneficiaries of COAF: education should be accessible for every child and be of the highest international standard

In the framework of the INSTALIVE series of the Children of Armenia Fund (COAF), President Armen Sarkissian today had an online conversation with the children from the communities-beneficiaries of the Fund and responded to their questions.

President Sarkissian noted that he had very warm memories from his last year visit to the Smart center in Lori and meeting with the children. Underscoring that the 21st century is the time for new opportunities, the President said in particular, “You will be living in a much more interesting, colorful, and a more free world. Each of you has excellent opportunities, you just have to be able to use these opportunities.” The children directed multiple questions to the President of Armenia, ranging from the educational system, equal opportunities for children in rural areas, Armenia’s role in international relations, creation of vaccine against coronavirus, and possibilities of re-opening schools in September.

Speaking about the educational system, President Sarkissian noted that all efforts should be channelled toward upgrading the level of education, based on the premise that all children should have equal opportunities. “Education should be accessible for every child and be of the highest international standard. Serious work and everyone’s dedication is needed to achieve that. I am ready to assist in every possible way,” the President of Armenia said. “At the same time, there are also presidential initiatives, especially, programs aimed at the enhancement of science and technologies which strive to become locomotives to move forward development of certain areas. Artificial intelligence in particular will be in the center of attention. You should be able to use artificial intelligence in your life to help you make decisions. In the new world you need to work, learn, and think in a new way. Coronavirus revealed that all countries need to allocate additional resources to healthcare and biology areas.”

Responding to a kid’s question on whether he could go to school in September, President Sarkissian urged to be very cautious, to observe all rules and use this time to learn something new, for instance, a new craft. “When Britain experienced an outbreak, the famous physicist Isaac Newton, who at the time was a student at Cambridge University, went back to his small town because the university was shut down for one year. In that one year, three Newton laws were invented. I suggest that you use the time you spend at home properly and creatively.”

Responding to the question on what motto to use in difficult times, President Sarkissian said that one should not despair even in the most difficult situations. “Never despair, because the beauty of the live is in the fact that there is always tomorrow, day after tomorrow, and so on… If today was a bad day, be sure that tomorrow can be a good one. Everything depends on you, your self-confidence, your vigor, and ability to fight. Never lie to yourselves, and certainly, don’t lie to others. Try to discover yourself, believe in yourself.”

Responding to the question on what human qualities he values most, President Sarkissian noted that they are multiple. “I will single out two of them: first, be tolerant toward each other, starting from elderly members of the family, your friends, and turn that tolerance into culture,” he said. “Even when something unacceptable for you is said, listen carefully - there is a chance that there is something beautiful in that unacceptable idea from which you can learn. Another quality is trust. Many things become impossible without trust, trust toward parents and children, also trust in your own self. There is no friendship without trust, no strong family without trust, a society with no trust among its members cannot be healthy.”