Number of Armenian schools in Turkey dwindles

PanARMENIAN – Armenian schools in Turkey are struggling to survive as the population of the Armenian community continues to dwindle, Hurriyet Daily News reports.

Out of the 138 schools that operated in the 1920s, only 24 have remained today.

For Turkey’s Armenian community, the meager number of schools for their children is a problem. With a population of 60,000 across the country, only 3,000 students receive education in Armenian schools.

“There were around 9,000 students in 25 schools at the end of the 1950s. Now, there are 3,000 students,” Istanbul Dadyan Armenian School’s founder Arsen Arşık said.

“When the education system in Turkey changes, it affects our schools too. Because high school and university entrance exams are conducted by a centralized education system, parents want classes like physics and mathematics to be taught in Turkish, which we have the right to offer in Armenian.”