Education Minister Denies Prime Minister's Task to 'Check' Shower Head Price During School Visit

Armenia's Minister of Education, Science, Culture, and Sports, Zhanna Andreasyan, strongly denied allegations that Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan had instructed her to examine the price of a shower head during their recent visit to a newly renovated public school in Armavir Province.

During Pashinyan's inspection of the school, which caters to 348 students, several issues were identified, particularly problems with the newly installed faucets and shower heads. In a recorded video from the visit, the Prime Minister is seen removing a shower head and passing it to Minister Andreasyan, stating, "Mrs. Andreasyan, take this and check if the price corresponds to the sum in the technical description!"

Nevertheless, Andreasyan clarified to reporters on Tuesday, emphasizing a careful review of the video and asserting, "Please watch the video until the end; this instruction was not directed to me."

Amidst the scrutiny, a reporter from Factor TV questioned the Minister about the unusual task assigned by the head of state, raising concerns about the Ministry's apparent oversight and failure to maintain quality standards. The Minister was pressed to explain why her department seemed to have failed in adhering to quality protocols.

These inquiries emerged following Prime Minister Pashinyan's extensive visits to various public school facilities, aiming to evaluate the quality standards of government-funded reconstruction projects. Expressing dissatisfaction with the observed conditions, Pashinyan actively engaged in inspecting the renovations.

However, Minister Andreasyan declined to entertain further questions, indicating a reluctance to participate in additional discussions on the matter.

The incident has sparked discussions regarding the role of the Prime Minister in overseeing minute details of reconstruction projects, highlighting concerns about accountability and adherence to quality standards within governmental initiatives.