Event Overview
- Date and Venue: Held on June 2, 2024, at the Armenian Center in Sharjah.
- Focus: The event exclusively featured the graduation of Kindergarten (KG2) students without addressing the higher classes.
- Date and Venue: Held on June 2, 2024, at the Armenian Center in Sharjah.
- Focus: The event exclusively featured the graduation of Kindergarten (KG2) students without addressing the higher classes.
Attendance and Demographics
- Student Numbers: Initially, 200 students were registered in September 2023, rising to 260 by the end of the school year. The reasons for this increase were not explained.
- Lack of Demographic Data: There was no information on the students' demographics, such as their residences (Dubai or Sharjah) or their parents' geographical backgrounds (e.g., Syria, Lebanon, Armenia).
Issues Not Addressed
- Dropout Rates: The event did not explain the decrease in student numbers from Kindergarten to the sixth grade. For instance, while 34 students graduated from KG2, the number significantly drops by sixth grade, indicating a potential dropout issue.
- Program Details: The event program lacked detailed information about song authors, lyricists, and composers.
Event Execution
- Performance Quality: The event was modest, with students having minimal speaking roles and performing 2-3 short group songs and theatrical presentations.
- Cultural Representation: Although the majority of students have a Western Armenian language heritage, 90% of the songs performed were from Eastern Armenian literature.
- Creativity and Training: The selection of songs and recitations lacked creativity. The group dance performance indicated inadequate preparation and training.
Infrastructure and Resources
- Outdated Facilities: The Board of Trustees highlighted the outdated infrastructure, emphasizing the need for new technologies and facilities to support the 280 students.
- Church's Position: Archbishop M. Sarkissian acknowledged the infrastructure issues but did not commit to addressing them, expressing only a hope for future improvements.
Observations and Recommendations
- Mixed Marriages: There is a relatively high number of students from mixed marriages.
- Potential Parent Action: If the school's standards remain low, parents, especially those from Armenia, might consider establishing a new educational center in Dubai to teach their children their mother tongue.
Suggestions
1. Expand Graduation Ceremonies: Include higher class graduations to recognize all students' achievements.
2. Provide Demographic Data: Offer insights into students' demographics to understand and address community needs better.
3. Investigate Dropout Rates: Analyze and address the reasons behind the high dropout rates to improve student retention.
4. Enhance Event Quality: Increase student participation with more diverse and creative performances.
5. Update Infrastructure: Commit to modernizing facilities and integrating new technologies to enhance the learning environment.
6. Strengthen Cultural Representation: Ensure a balance between Eastern and Western Armenian cultural elements in school events.
- Student Numbers: Initially, 200 students were registered in September 2023, rising to 260 by the end of the school year. The reasons for this increase were not explained.
- Lack of Demographic Data: There was no information on the students' demographics, such as their residences (Dubai or Sharjah) or their parents' geographical backgrounds (e.g., Syria, Lebanon, Armenia).
Issues Not Addressed
- Dropout Rates: The event did not explain the decrease in student numbers from Kindergarten to the sixth grade. For instance, while 34 students graduated from KG2, the number significantly drops by sixth grade, indicating a potential dropout issue.
- Program Details: The event program lacked detailed information about song authors, lyricists, and composers.
Event Execution
- Performance Quality: The event was modest, with students having minimal speaking roles and performing 2-3 short group songs and theatrical presentations.
- Cultural Representation: Although the majority of students have a Western Armenian language heritage, 90% of the songs performed were from Eastern Armenian literature.
- Creativity and Training: The selection of songs and recitations lacked creativity. The group dance performance indicated inadequate preparation and training.
Infrastructure and Resources
- Outdated Facilities: The Board of Trustees highlighted the outdated infrastructure, emphasizing the need for new technologies and facilities to support the 280 students.
- Church's Position: Archbishop M. Sarkissian acknowledged the infrastructure issues but did not commit to addressing them, expressing only a hope for future improvements.
Observations and Recommendations
- Mixed Marriages: There is a relatively high number of students from mixed marriages.
- Potential Parent Action: If the school's standards remain low, parents, especially those from Armenia, might consider establishing a new educational center in Dubai to teach their children their mother tongue.
Suggestions
1. Expand Graduation Ceremonies: Include higher class graduations to recognize all students' achievements.
2. Provide Demographic Data: Offer insights into students' demographics to understand and address community needs better.
3. Investigate Dropout Rates: Analyze and address the reasons behind the high dropout rates to improve student retention.
4. Enhance Event Quality: Increase student participation with more diverse and creative performances.
5. Update Infrastructure: Commit to modernizing facilities and integrating new technologies to enhance the learning environment.
6. Strengthen Cultural Representation: Ensure a balance between Eastern and Western Armenian cultural elements in school events.
