The Government of Armenia has approved the draft of the third Seismic Safety Improvement Program loan agreement with the Asian Development Bank (ADB), which provides for the construction of 50 additional schools. The total cost of the new project is around $366 million, of which $293 million will be provided by the bank, while the state budget will cover approximately $73 million. This initiative replaces the core "300 Schools, 500 Kindergartens" program, which is in its final phase and has already seen the opening of numerous educational institutions.
According to Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sports Zhanna Andreasyan, cooperation with the ADB began back in 2016. Of the 46 schools in the first phase, 30 are already completed, and construction on the remaining 16 will finish by the end of the year. Beyond construction itself, the program has developed standardized school designs that are now widely used across the republic, significantly accelerating the layout and building of new educational complexes. Under the new agreement, major focus will also be placed on ensuring design quality, reviewing expertise procedures, and training staff for subsequent technical maintenance of the buildings.
At the Cabinet meeting, officials also touched upon the overall progress of school construction. It was noted that at least 303 schools will be ready by the end of the year, after which the second 300-school program will launch. The ultimate goal of the state strategy is to have around 1,000 new or fully renovated schools nationwide, providing modern educational infrastructure. Concurrently, reconstruction work is underway on 30 colleges, and the Academic City project will soon enter its practical phase.
In parallel, the issue of proper preservation and maintenance of newly built facilities was raised, as current standards are outdated and do not meet the requirements of modern educational institutions. The ministry plans to develop new guidelines to ensure long-term operation of the buildings. Despite opposition criticism regarding the pace, officials assure that the targets set by the 2021–2026 program will be fully met.
The approval of the 3rd Seismic Safety Program demonstrates that school construction in Armenia has become a long-term state strategy rather than a one-off initiative. Securing $293 million in loan funds attests to the confidence of international financial institutions, though it simultaneously increases the public debt burden.
Notably, at this stage, emphasis is placed not only on constructing buildings, but also on their subsequent maintenance and upkeep. The use of standardized designs and the development of new maintenance standards could significantly resolve previously observed technical flaws.
Moving forward, the most crucial issue will be construction quality control and adherence to deadlines, as the announced target of 1,000 schools will demand unprecedented resources and organizational effort.
