City Hall Explains Reasons for Tying Children in Kindergarten

Yerevan Deputy Mayor Tigran Virabyan has responded on his Facebook page to photographs circulating on the internet today, which show children tied to chairs. According to him, the kindergarten in question has been operating an inclusive group since 2015, where 24 children with various serious issues attend. Of these children, 14 have mobility issues and come to kindergarten in their wheelchairs.

“Inside the kindergarten, the daily routine of these children is organized using special seating provided by the 'Arbes' healthcare center, which features special securing devices,” wrote Tigran Virabyan, adding that there are two special educators and two assistants working with each group of eight children, along with specialized professionals.

“The multidisciplinary team consists of 18 skilled and experienced professionals. The activities of the inclusive group in the kindergarten are monitored by 'Arbes' health center, which specializes in this area,” emphasized the deputy mayor. He stated that representatives from international health organizations, who regularly visit the kindergarten, have positively evaluated the institution's experience.

Tigran Virabyan indicated that due to certain controversies regarding the issue, the Yerevan City Hall will soon organize a specialized discussion to address methodological questions. “We urge everyone to be extremely cautious when making comments on this highly sensitive issue, considering the opinions of a wide group of specialists, and to respect the feelings and rights of the children included in the inclusive groups and their parents,” he wrote on social media.

It is worth noting that today, photographs of tied children in the kindergarten spread online. One Facebook user had posted, stating they could not remain silent and needed to respond to the behavioral management approaches used in Yerevan's No. 92 kindergarten inclusive group. The parents of the depicted children commented under the post, mentioning that their little ones have mobility issues, and the only way to keep them in their seats is by tying them. Some parents accused the individual who posted the photos of sharing them online without permission, despite the children’s faces being obscured.