Concerns Arise in the Ministry of Education Over Ashot Bleyan's Situation

According to the newspaper "Hraparak", on September 4, Ashot Bleyan, the director of the Mkhitar Sebastatsi Educational Complex, will turn 65 years old, and under the law regarding state non-commercial organizations (SNCOs), he can no longer serve as director. The staff and parents of the educational complex are demanding that the SNCO change its status to a foundation, allowing Bleyan to continue in his role.

We inquired with the Ministry of Education and Science about the solution they have found; the Ministry's Public Relations Department replied that the request had been rejected and that the SNCO would not become a foundation. Araik Harutyunyan believes that such a move would not be appropriate. A month ago, the ministry sent a notice to Bleyan, reminding him that he would not be able to continue serving from September and that his contract had been terminated.

Bleyan's supporters insist that this is a unique pedagogical approach, and the ministry should accommodate this need and create conditions for him to stay. The Public Relations Department mentioned that although there is no legal obstacle to the transformation of an SNCO into a foundation, several SNCOs that have become foundations in the past complained and requested to revert to their former status.

The reason for the dissatisfaction is that government participation in the management of schools that have become foundations diminishes, resulting in reduced financial resources from the state. There are also concerns in the Ministry of Education that if they make an exception for one individual, it could set a bad precedent, leading all directors who turn 65 to demand to become foundations. The Ministry stated, "If this is a step aimed at development, then why did the demand to become a foundation arise only two months before Bleyan's 65th birthday in June?"