The Statement of the Founder and the Chairman of the Regent’s Schools Thailand and UK, Dr. Virachai Techavijit, regarding s Regent’s School in Armenia

The graduation in 2006 of the first group of Armenian students who had

studied at the Regent’s School Thailand, namely Hayk and Anna Harutyunyan,

under the scholarship funded by my family’s Techavijit Foundation, marked

the beginning of a special scholarship programme for Armenian young

students. As of today the cumulative value of granted scholarship to

young

Armenians to study at the Regent’s School Thailand amounted to around 3

million USD which has benefited approximately 60 Armenian students aged

from 14 to 18. Currently there are 45 students studying at both campuses

in Thailand. The majority of graduates continued their education in top

universities of the world (for example Cambridge University, UCL, U of

Toronto, Imperial College London, Exeter, Lancaster). After their

university graduation, these students have either returned, or have

planned

to return to Armenia after their high degrees’ study. Some of the

graduates

have continued their higher education in Armenian universities.

Twenty six more Armenian students are at the moment being interviewed for

scholarships to study at the Regent’s Schools Thailand.

In June 2009, during a meeting with the Prime Minister of Armenia, the

continuation of such Global Connect Scholarship programme was presented to

the latter. The possibility of the opening of a branch of the Regent’s

School in Armenia was also discussed. However the process did not go

further due to the following reasons:

1) There is insufficient critical mass of expat/international community in

Armenia at present time. A high number of expats’ children are essential

to allow the school to operate and flourish as a truly international

school. This will come about only when foreign investment and

international commercial and diplomatic activities in Armenia increase to

an acceptable level.

2) Armenia does not yet suffer from losing huge amount of foreign

currencies as the result of significant number of Armenian are sent to

study in expensive countries such as UK and USA. So opening an

international school in Armenia now may not be necessary to save foreign

currencies as Thailand did change the law in 1992 when 20,000 young Thai

students were studying in the UK alone.

3) Armenian legislature did not allow for the opening of an international

school similar to the Regent’s Schools which are British based and using

English as medium of teaching. I do agree however that there is no need to

change this legislature as yet. The justification of the change should be

natural as the pressure from what I described in 1. Above, i.e.

4) Armenian higher educational system (Universities) is not compatible

with graduates of IB or A Levels. So the graduates of such English

curriculum high school (if every set up) would have to continue their

studies in foreign countries. This may be perceived as counterproductive.

3) We have opened a branch of the Regent’s School in the United Kingdom.

Hence, there was a shift in priorities at the moment.

Thus, there is no plan to open a branch of the Regent’s School in Armenia

in the foreseeable future.

At the same time, we followed very closely the civic movements in Armenia

about their fears of new law which could compromise the necessity of

having

young Armenians to have deep knowledge of the Armenian culture and

language. As noticed, the newly amendment legislature has only allowed

older children to be exposed to foreign language as medium in teaching.

Thus a fully fledged international school using English as medium from 3

years old onward is still prohibited by this amendment. I personally

think

such international school in Armenia is still much too early to be set up

and it does not have any tangible benefit to justify any serious

discussion

at the moment.

Hence, to support the policy of maintaining Armenian language as one of

the core subject which should be taken by any Armenian child, I would like

to inform the Armenian public that at the moment there are plans to open

an

Armenian Studies Department at the Regent’s Schools in Thailand and the

UK,

where subjects such as Armenian language, Armenian literature and History

of Armenia will be taught by Armenian citizen who are perfect bilingual.

We are seriously recruiting teachers now to put into effect, hopefully by

September this year at our UK, Pattaya and Bangkok campuses.

During my visit, I will interview few candidates, who I would like to

recruit for teaching Armenian language and cultures in the Regent’s

School.

I do also hope that this will create a very good opportunity for

Armenians

outside Armenian from all around the world may become interested to study

in one of the our best international schools so that their children could

study their mother tongue as well as Armenian literature and history of

Armenian people. Armenian classes will be open for foreigners too and I

will believe it will be a great opportunity for many non-Armenians to

learn

about this fascinating nation and the ancient Armenian language.

Global Bridge Educational Centre, which was founded by Hayk and Anna

Harutyunyans, our old Regent’s alumni, which is the official

representation

of the Regent’s School in Armenia, will inform you about further

developments.

Yerevan, 6 July 2010