I have repeatedly told my students at school that there are good and bad people among all nations (including Turks), that our conflict with Turkey and Azerbaijan is political and not national, and especially not religious. I am sure that 16-17 year old children can and should be talked about such topics (at least within the framework of the subject “social studies”). Some of the students agree with me, some do not, and we discuss this issue calmly in class. I always warn children that there are questions that do not have unambiguous answers. I am sure that such discussions are a very important part of the modern educational process.
Children grow up, become, say, deputies of the National Assembly, Facebook status writers and commentators, and are unable to communicate with each other in a humane manner, they are unable to discuss issues calmly. In this I see the gap in family and school upbringing. To always be right, to be with the majority, to gain people’s approval and applause in every way, to “not give in” in a fight – these are the goals that a group of people pursue and become a pack.
“Bullying”, I am sure, does not arise “spontaneously” in the environment of children – it is a reflection of the moods and willful or involuntary instructions of our parents, grandparents, teachers. In the Tribune.am report, there’s a scene from the Merdzavan school where a student speaks disrespectfully—at the very least—about a teacher (regardless of what kind of teacher she is), and the gathered parents applaud him. But if those parents had scolded him instead of encouraging him, would he still feel the need to act that way to win their approval?
To be independent, not to be afraid to remain in the minority, even to be alone, not to be hostile to people who have an opinion different from yours, not to label them – I think Such things should be taught in school. Of course, not only in school.
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… I perceive the part of World War II that concerned us, the Armenians, as the Great Patriotic War. My friend Mikael Hayrapetyan is categorically against it and wrote an article about it in “Aravot”. That disagreement does not make us enemies, we remain friends; I do not consider him a “Sorosite”, nor does he consider me a “Putin spy”.
Aram ABRAHAMYAN
