About 415,000 children went to schools in Armenia.

THIS MATERIAL (INFORMATION) WAS PRODUCED AND DISTRIBUTED BY THE FOREIGN AGENT LLC "MEMO", OR RELATES TO THE ACTIVITIES OF THE FOREIGN AGENT LLC "MEMO".

In Armenia, the first bell rang in 1,390 educational schools. About 415,000 children started their studies, including 33,000 first-graders. Parents admitted that it's better to prepare children for school in advance, as by September 1, school supplies in stores have become more expensive.

According to the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports of Armenia, on September 1, 2026, about 415,000 students went to schools, of which about 33,000 are first-graders. There are 1,390 educational schools operating in the republic.

In her official address on the occasion of September 1, Minister of Education Andriasyan declared the 2026-2027 academic year as the "Year of Reading". According to her, to encourage reading among students, starting from September 4, as part of the 9th International Book Festival, each month of the academic year will be dedicated to a specific literary genre or direction. The theme for September is the Armenian epic "Sasna Tsrer" ("David of Sasun").

There are still children on the list waiting for their turn.

The chairperson of the public organization "In the Footsteps of Ancestors" Saida Poghosyan told a correspondent of "Caucasian Knot" that this year, as a result of fundraising, they managed to provide 200 children from border settlements with backpacks, school supplies, and clothing. "Since there are many requests for help, we decided not to stop the fundraising. We will continue as long as we can. Because there are still children on the list waiting for their turn," noted Poghosyan.

According to her, "more than a thousand families submitted requests for school assistance to the organization, but unfortunately, donations only allowed us to help those in urgent need."

The SOS Children's Villages Armenia Foundation announced a fundraising campaign to assist families with school-aged children facing financial difficulties. According to a representative of the foundation, 170 children from the Ijevan and Kotayk regions received necessary school supplies - a backpack, notebooks, pens, and pencils. The cost of a complete school kit for one child is 15,000 drams (about 400 dollars).

Mothers of elementary school students told a correspondent of "Caucasian Knot" that the expenses for school this year turned out to be quite high.

The family budget does not allow for such expenses.

Karina Sargsyan from the Ararat region has a son in elementary school. She noted that they only bought what was initially necessary for school. "To start, we bought pens and notebooks. Pants and a white shirt for formal occasions. A backpack was borrowed from acquaintances. The rest – for drawing and other subjects – we will buy as needed. If we decided to buy everything, we would need 50,000 drams (about 1,300 dollars) just for my son. Besides him, we have two more adult children. The family budget does not allow for such expenses," the woman said.

Nune Grigoryan has a six-year-old son who started first grade. The young woman said that she could not allow her son to lack anything, so she borrowed money to buy everything necessary for school – from school supplies to new clothes. "By September 1, many things in stores became more expensive. But next year I will buy in advance, not just before the school year starts," she noted.

* the activities of the company Meta (which owns Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp) are banned in Russia.