On May 25, the hall of Dilijan Central School warmed up with the “Last Bell” of the 11th generation of graduates. Many moments are impressive to this day: the teenagers’ dance to the sounds of Aram Khachatryan’s “Masquerade,” the smiles and gentle humour characterising each other’s work… The students’ video-recorded educational role-plays were also spectacular, artistically conveying old and new lessons from Stone Age people to mediaeval thinkers and classical works of art to the audience. The delicately constructed script seemed to testify to John Dewey’s words, “Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself.”

The moment of reading messages of gratitude when each graduate highlighted the name of the teacher who left a decisive mark on their lives was touching. The national dances with the lively beats of the dhol, which the enthusiastic teenagers interpreted as a determined strike to trample evil, were unique manifestations of patriotism.

In the end, the school employees’ 3-5-year-old children came out with a surprise wave of greeting, as if confirming with their ringing voices that the welfare of the new generation is possible in a strong homeland and peace.