Sep 01, 2011

Crimean Tatars: Reconstructed School Welcomes New Students


Local students will now be able to enjoy a more comfortable learning environment as a result of a cooperative project involving the Crimean Council of Ministers and the Turkish International Cooperation and Development Agency. Classes at Alma Tarhan will be taught in the local language which will encourage preservation of indigenous traditions.

Below is an article published by the Crimean News Agency:

The last day of summer was marked for pupils of the Alma Tarhan (Viline) secondary school with the Crimean Tatar language of instruction by a joyous event – opening of school following the reconstruction. So, now children grind away at their studies in comfortable conditions.

The opening ceremony was attended by Crimean officials, members of the Turkish International Cooperation and Development Agency (TIKA), the Head of the Association of Crimean Tatar Educators ‘Maarifci’ Safure Kacamet, as well as local residents, pupils and parents.

Vice Prime Minister of Crimea – Minister of Regional Development and Housing and Community Services of Crimea, Aziz Abdullah, congratulated all those present on the event and Oraza Bayram (Eid al-Fitr), wished local residents strong health and prosperity, as well as wished pupils to reach the heights of science and sports and become worthy citizens of Ukraine.

“Children are our future, potential of our country. Our task and the task of the Crimean government is to create conducive and comfortable environment for their development, education and spiritual growth. The school is a second home. Here they find friends and comrades for life, acquire knowledge that a person needs in adult life. It depends only on us who our children will be, what they will take with them into a greater life and what they will achieve,” Mr. Abdullah said, according to the Crimean Council of Ministers’ press service.

He also noted that the fruitful cooperation between the Crimean government and Turkish partners will continue.

“We hope that our common work will not over, and we will have new implemented joint projects. And very soon we will be able to present some of them in Simferopol and Bilohirsk raions,” the vice premier stated.

The reconstruction of the school began in 2010 as part of a joint project of the Council of Ministers of Crimea and TIKA. Building of sports hall, physics, chemistry and computer classrooms was financed by the republican budget and TIKA’s programme.

It should be reminded that since 1997 TIKA allocated USD 4,750,000 to implement in Ukraine projects to support education. Since 2006, TIKA assisted in the renovation of eight schools and one kindergarten in Crimea.