Member of an initiative group are against opening of foreign language schools Aram Apatyan said that such schools will contribute to formation of foreign language elite in the country, thus forcing out the Armenian language.

“The education system should be built on the basis of the native tongue. Otherwise¸ the situation in Armenia will remind that in Lebanon, where Arabic is a secondary language while foreign language schools can secure literacy of the population,” Apatyan said.

For his part, information security specialist Tigran Kocharyan said adoption of the law can’t have disastrous consequences.

On December 22 the Armenian parliament adopted bills on introduction of amendments to the laws on education and language.

The decision is meant to lift the ban on Russian language education imposed in 1990s. It supposes opening of 11 schools, where senior students will be taught in Russian, English or French.