Melkonian students continue to excel, despite closure threat

 Nicosia (Dec. 21, 2004) - Two students from the Melkonian Educational Institute were among the 135 recipients of the High Achiever awards given out to students who gained top international marks and top marks in Cyprus in last June’s A level, O level and GCSE exams, at an award ceremony in Nicosia last week.

Hovhannes Atabekyan from Armenia, a 2004 graduate of the school currently studying in the U.K., was one of only nine students in Cyprus to gain straight As in five Advanced Level subjects, while only three other Cypriots gained six As.

Elizabeth Torossian from Cyprus notched up the highest Ordinary Level international subject mark in Armenian, an award achieved in only ten other subjects worldwide.

Together with their school mates, they overcame the troubles caused by the New York based administrators’ announcement on March 16 to shut down the school and continued with their external examinations.

“These outstanding results cast a shadow over the true intentions of the school’s administrators to shut down the Melkonian and sell off the land,” a spokesman for the Melkonian Alumni Association of Cyprus said.

The Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU) announced at the time that “If MEI’s current structure provided exceptional opportunities to its students as it had done in the past, substantial subsidization under those circumstances would be warranted. Unfortunately, this is not the case...”

The subsequent decision to close the 80 year old high school caused a public uproar among the Armenian Diaspora and the Greek Cypriot community in particular, with the Cyprus Parliament issuing a unanimous resolution on March 26 calling on the AGBU to keep the school open and start a dialogue with the Armenian community, the school’s alumni and parents. The AGBU continues to defy the parliament decision.

Jane Holliday, regional representative of the UK awarding body Edexcel said an impressive record this year saw students in Cyprus being awarded the top marks in the world in nine A level subjects and 11 O level subjects.

“For so many students to have done so well is a tribute to all those involved. As for the students, well, they are truly wonderful,” she said.

The figures include entries from over 100 countries but exclude the UK. Most subjects attract hundreds of entries worldwide, and many have entries in the thousands.

The American Academy of Nicosia, the school with which the AGBU has come to a financial agreement in order to transfer the 2005 Melkonian students next September, was not among the schools with High Achievers in GCSE, GCE A Level or GCE O Level exams. If these exams are considered a benchmark for reasons of comparison, then it is obvious that the American Academy’s standards are far below those of the Melkonian. Also, the American Academy has no plans to introduce Armenian language or Armenian History classes next year.

So much for ‘azkabahbanoum’ …