Center for Education Projects PIU The Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports

On February 20 and 21, the World Bank team, accompanied by CEP PIU representatives visited educational institutions of the RA Ararat, Armavir and Aragatsotn regions. Monitoring of the implemented and current work, carried out within the framework of the World Bank co-financed " Education Improvement Additional Financing" loan project, was in the context of the visits. Also the objective of the visits was to meet with principals, teachers, and students to understand how resources were utilized by them, what challenges they were currently facing. In Particular Task Team Leader Shizuka Kunimoto, Consultant Anna Malkhasyan, Senior Operation Officer Narine Tadevosyan, Consultant Aleksandr Tovmasyan as well as Project Manager of the Center for Education Project PIU Armine Khachatryan, Head of the sub-component “Equipping General Education Schools” Mher-Melik-Bakhshyan, Head of 1.2 sub-component Grigor Baghdasaryan were the participants of the visits. The World Bank delegation started their working visit on February 20, in Hovtashen secondary school where new preschool was established. The World Bank delegation, accompanied by the CEP PIU Project Manager Armine Khachatryan and program staff toured the newly established preschool, got acquainted with the work done, talked with teachers and parents. The next stop of the World Bank delegation was Deghdzut secondary school where the establishment of ICT and Engineering laboratories (Physics, Chemistry, Geography and Biology) have been summarized. The guests were highly impressed by the conditions. The next stop was in Artashat High School. This high school is one of those 4 high schools that will be completely rehabilitated/constructed in the frames of “Education Improvement Additional Financing " loan project. The Delegation met with the constructors and discussed various questions related to seismic strengthening of the building and to overall rehabilitation activities. One more time the strict deadlines had been emphasized. . The World Bank delegation continued their visits on February 21 and visited the secondary schools of Zartonq and Musaler in Armavir, where new preschools have been established. The guests were impressed with the final results and with the created conditions. Preschool children spent their days in beautiful and colorful rooms with comfortable shelves and closets, full of educational materials and toys. The World Bank task team leader Shizuka Kunimoto noted that the establishment of preschools as a result of such programs, is an important precondition for having literate and educated citizens tomorrow. In Zartonq and Musaler, members of the WB delegation toured the classrooms where the new furniture and ICT and Engineering laboratories (Physics, Chemistry, Geography and Biology) have been installed. The next stop was in Ashtarak High School No. 5 after Sisakian, which will be completely rehabilitated in the frames of the project by December 2025.It should be noted that within the framework of “Education Improvement Additional Financing " loan project reconstructions have started in 3 more high schools: in Yerevan,in Vanadzor and in Artashat .