Gayane Arakelyan

Ever since 2009, second grade pupils at the Armenian school in Javakhk have been studying arithmetic from the book seen here.

The book should be entitled “Mathematics” but the Armenian, in capital letters, reads “MAMEMAKIKA”.  Is this simply a typo error or something more sinister? Javakhk teachers and parents of the school kids are convinced it’s the latter and point to the Georgian authorities.

“They are simply trying to mock us with this book. Step by step, they are preparing the ground for our eventual assimilation,” notes a teacher at the Akhalkalak Hovhannes Tumanyan School. The teacher adds that when she first saw the book she refused to use it in class but was threatened with dismissal from the school administration if she didn’t.

The middle photo shows the opening page of the textbook where an attempt was made to correct the mistake. The spelling is still wrong. Errors similar to this one abound in the book.

The bottom photo is that of the bust of Armenian writer Derain Demirjyan, located in the courtyard of   Akhalkalak Armenian High School #4. What is interesting is that there is no name etched on the pedestal.

In Javakhk, they say that the Georgian authorities will shortly remove the statue anyway from the school that once was named in honor of Demirjian. The honorary designation was dropped at the start of the present school year.