One just needs to take a look at the accompanying photo to understand why pupils at the Martiros Tandilyan School in the Baghramyan neighborhood of Alaverdi avoid using the bathroom.

Erik Shahnazaryan, a seventh grader, confesses that he uses the school’s bathroom but that most of his classmates are turned off by the sight and stench.

Hasmik, another pupil, says that the lack of sinks to wash up really irritates her.

There isn’t even any lighting in the facility.

School Director Seda Nalbandyan says she doesn’t have the funds to make necessary repairs.

Alaverdi, a town in Armenia’s northern Lori Province, has eight basic schools.

The hree schools we visited lacked basic proper hygiene. Only the Yeghishe Charents and Hovhannes Toumanyan Schools had bathrooms that were partially renovated.

There wasn’t even water at the Charents School

Lousineh Mikayelyan, who heads the Toumanyan School, confessed that the bathrooms are in need of renovation, but that it’s important to preserve what exists.

When I asked Lori Provincial Governor Artur Nalbandyan when the bathrooms in Alaverdi schools would be refurbished, he said that 60% of the bathrooms in the provinces 151 schools needed work.

Nalbandyan said that all school directors have been instructed to target allocated maintenance funds especially towards improving sanitary conditions in the bathrooms and kitchens.