KHACHATUR ABOVYAN ARMENIAN STATE PEDAGOGICAL UNIVERSITY

An exhibition entitled "Tracing Armenian Schools in the Ottoman Empire: Evidence of an Educated Nation" opened at ASPU on November 15.

The exhibition dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the University is a joint initiative by the ASPU History Museum and the Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute.

The objective is to once again emphasize the role of education as an important component of national identity and heritage, to present schools operating in Armenian communities, which, in addition to spreading literacy among people, were also scientific, cultural, bibliographic, national and social centres, educational institutions that created and disseminated art and culture and responded to the important events of the time.

Welcoming the initiative, ASPU Rector Srbuhi Gevorgyan also emphasized its methodological aspect: it is an alternative educational process, which, regardless of specialization, will strengthen ideas about pedagogical education and preservation of national identity.

She stressed that Armenians have always solved the problem of preserving the national identity in educational centres, which, even in today’s changing world, have an important role and importance in the process of socialization. “As future educators, you should realize that in addition to sharing your knowledge, you should also solve the problem of forming citizen identity. You should be ready to analyze and later to transfer [to next generations] the educational heritage that the Armenian people have had during their historical development."

Professor Aida Topuzyan, Head of the Chair of Pedagogy at ASPU, says it is the Armenian family, school, and church that have brought Armenians to the 21st century: this is a reality known to everyone.

She presented the history of organization of Western Armenian education in the Ottoman Empire, spoke about establishment of the first secular school in Constantinople in the 18th century, school movements aimed at national enlightenment and development in Western Armenia, and the well-known events that have given a devastating blow to Armenian educational and cultural life. "Each of the exhibits here is an important part of the history of Armenian people. The educational centres presented here have created our intelligentsia who have dedicated their entire lives to the upbringing of Armenian children. We are obliged to continue their important work," she stressed.

Emphasizing the importance of the exhibition, Aida Topuzyan promised that pedagogy courses will henceforth start from the exhibition hall. Besides, a competition will be organized in the near future during, with future pedagogues being tasked "to trace” Armenian schools in the Ottoman Empire and to present the educational centres (16 of them still operate) in the Armenian communities in their works.

Harutyun Marutyan, Director of the Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute, says the Armenian people have created a rich culture in a country where attempts have been made constantly to deport and kill them.

He says we owe to those schools and their students for the educational heritage we have today and their thirst for knowledge should be an example [for others] and be passed on to today's generation.

Seda Parsamyan, Head of the Department of Museum Exhibitions at the Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute, says upon the initiative of ASPU Museum Director Alvard Grigoryan, ASPU was the first educational institution in Armenia to host the exhibition.

She says the objective of the exhibition is to present [from a distance of more than a century] the once fruitful activity of more than 2000 Armenian educational centre operating in Western Armenia, Cilicia and Armenian-inhabited areas of the Ottoman Empire, which, unfortunately, was interrupted because of the Armenian Genocide. Those educational centres do not exist anymore, but the exhibition presents exceptional facts which are evidence of their existence and Armenian affiliation," Seda Parsamyan said.

The exhibition also features important documents, including certificates of Armenian pupils, textbooks, stationery and other archival materials.

The exhibition will run until December 15.