There is not a lot of first-graders in the new academic year in the Tavush region of Armenia on the border with Azerbaijan. The population is fleeing from periodically shelled villages and the number of pupils in schools reduce.

This year there will be only two first-gradersin Barekamavan village.

Accodring to News.Az, the director of the school Astghik Azatyan said in an interview with Lragir.am that there will not be a separate class this year.

"Only 5 classes operate instead of 12. Students of the first, second and fourth grade will be learning together, third class is eliminated," the director said.

The school has 23 students.

"When I was in school, we had 36 students and not enough desks. Now there are a lot of desks, and no students. Social problems can not be solved in the village, and people leave. I get scared when there is a  silence in school," the director said.

"There is also the problem of personnel - young teachers don't want to work in school and the old ones do not want to give up their places because it is difficult to survive on retirement," Astghik Azatyan said.