Press Release: Seminar says school is our future
Armenian Youth Federation of Australia
PO Box 238, Willoughby, NSW Australia 2068
publicaffairs@ayfaustralia.com
www.ayfaustralia.com
PRESS RELEASE
25 July 2006
SEMINAR SAYS SCHOOL IS OUR FUTURE
PO Box 238, Willoughby, NSW Australia 2068
publicaffairs@ayfaustralia.com
www.ayfaustralia.com
PRESS RELEASE
25 July 2006
SEMINAR SAYS SCHOOL IS OUR FUTURE
The community’s backing of existing organisations, especially our schools, is imperative to the survival of Armenians in Australia, found a forum of members of the Armenian Youth Federation on their Winter Seminar in Katoomba last weekend.
The Seminar, aimed at bringing the members of AYF Australia closer together, was held at Kedumba House, and was attended by most of the organisation’s members who were unanimous in their thoughts when discussing the weekend’s topic:
‘Will Armenians survive in Australia?’
“The simple answer is yes, but according to our members it depends on a variety of ‘ifs’ becoming reality,” stated Enger Haig Kayserian, who ran the fruitful discussion on Saturday.
“The members collectively felt that, considering Armenian organisations were formed for the sole purpose to keep Armenians in the Diaspora Armenian, these organisations need to be backed, and need to be healthy.”
The members in attendance paid particular attention to the community’s day schools, stating the elementary and high school educational environment is the most important in developing life-lasting friendships with fellow Armenians.
“Most of us in the AYF have at some stage been students of Hamazkaine Arshak and Sophie Galstaun School (HASG), and this is the reason we were able to discuss that particular institution in depth,” continued Enger Kayserian.
“Some of us have graduated while others have left for different pastures, however regardless of where our members ended up earning their pre-tertiary tuition; they expressed a collective disapproval at the smear campaign the school constantly needs to endure.”
Enger Shant Geroyan, a current HASG student, said: “I love my school, and wouldn’t go anywhere else. I hear people complaining about discipline, or teachers, or students, but they haven’t sent their kids here for five or ten years.”
Former student, Engeroohi Taline Soghomonian added: “There is a very professional Board of Directors currently in place, and it is their goal to turn HASG into the best school in New South Wales, not simply a place that Armenians must send their kids.”
“This is the right attitude and should attract plenty of students from the new generation of parents in our community.”
Enger Tro Tufenkjian, another current HASG student, confirmed: “We see a difference in everything at the school, and I will not hesitate one bit to send my children there in the future.”
“I hope everyone else sends their children there now, since the school needs students to survive until it is time for me to have my own and send them to HASG.”
A former student of HASG, Engeroohi Natalie Arashian, said she would definitely send her kids to the school she left in high school.
Enger Shant Kradjian said: “I went to another private school before graduating HASG, and it was thanks to the teachers’ more personal approach that I managed to get the marks I got. I found that the HASG staff actually cares.”
Engeroohi Aleena Bablanian, herself a former student, said the key ingredient to education was “the individual and not the school”.
She felt that instead of taking their kids out of the school, parents should work on ensuring their children realise they are attending this educational institution to learn.
AYF Australia Chairperson, Enger Kevork Tufenkjian said the problem with HASG was “an image issue”.
“It is 90% about the image, and 10% about other things like discipline and education,” he said.
“The board and staff will fix that 10% as they have already begun, but the remaining 90% is up to our community to start supporting all our schools and begin sending their children to them so they grow up in an Armenian environment.”
Furthermore, the AYF Australia members noted that other organisations, including their own, are also the subject of unfounded criticism.
“Organisations which have kept Armenians Armenian in the Diaspora for over a century, have copped plenty of flak also,” said Enger Kayserian.
He added: “It was the conclusion of our forum that to survive in the Diaspora, we need these organisations.”
“We need parents in Australia to send their kids to our existing Cultural Centres and their respective organisations. We need our churches filled with youth.”
“We need parents to stop knocking the very educational institutions which present the golden hope for them to see their grandchildren communicate with them in the Armenian language.”
The Winter Seminar was a magnificent success, and images of it can be viewed on the AYFAustralia.com GALLERY.
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