The Situation at Avshar School Disrupts Children's Right to Education: Ombudsman

Representatives of the Human Rights Defender's office were dispatched yesterday to Avshar High School in the Ararat region on a special assignment. They met and had private conversations with the school's principal, teachers, students, and representatives from the Police who were present at the school.

The visit was based on the Ombudsman’s monitoring results and complaints received.

During the private conversations, it became clear that the newly appointed principal met with the vice-principal the day after starting work and proposed that they resign from their post but continue to work as a teacher. According to the principal, the vice-principal agreed to work as a teacher, but the following day the school administrator refused to draft the vice-principal's resignation order and transfer to another position, while the teachers began to protest against the principal's decision and refused to work with them.

The teachers stated that the vice-principal was in a pressured situation, which led them to agree to the transfer to another job, while they urged the vice-principal to remain in the same position. According to the teachers, the students also demand that the new principal resign, and many parents are ready to transfer their children to another school if the issue is not resolved.

The Human Rights Defender finds the situation at the school concerning, as it disrupts the children's right to education guaranteed by the Constitution. The Ombudsman is firmly convinced that the state must make maximum efforts to ensure the realization of children's constitutional rights in this specific situation, as it is required by the best interests of the child.

In order to clarify the created situation, the Ombudsman has sent letters to the Minister of Education and Science, the Minister of Territorial Administration and Development, as well as to the Police, addressing matters relevant to their jurisdiction.

The Human Rights Defender will continue to monitor the events related to Avshar School, collaborating with all parties and providing support within their jurisdiction to resolve the situation.

It should be noted that complaints have been addressed to the Ombudsman regarding a strike and protests taking place at the school, and information was received that an incident had occurred at the school, prompting a visit from police officers.