Contract Soldiers with Disabilities to Benefit from Free Education Opportunities

The government approved a draft law on amendments to the "Law on Military Service and the Status of Military Personnel" during its meeting today, March 10.

The rationale for the decision notes that the first part of Article 67 of the current law regulates the admission and education of former military personnel who have the right to a military pension due to first or second group disabilities as a result of performing their official duties during compulsory military service, as well as for children under 27 of deceased military personnel, parents, and spouses (including wives) in educational institutions of higher education and accredited state and non-state vocational (professional) programs operating in Armenia. They will be admitted through a special competition, exempt from the general competition (provided that they pass the exams with positive scores).

In the absence of legal regulations in the law, contract soldiers who have obtained first or second group disabilities during their military service, including officers, are deprived of the right to receive free education. In this situation, a discharged contract soldier faces a significant problem, as the absence of a relevant profession or the presence of only military education hinders their employment opportunities. As a result, the soldier, confronted with serious social issues and seeing no solutions, begins to consider leaving the country. The same problem is also faced by officers who have transitioned to military pensions after long service.

The guarantee of the right to receive free education for such individuals will enable them to adapt more easily to civilian life, acquire civilian professions, and engage in various areas of public life.

There is also a need to extend guarantees for education funded from the budget to contract soldiers who have the right to a military pension due to first or second group disabilities occurring as a result of participating in combat operations or performing special assignments during combat duty at the contact line with the enemy, or due to the enemy’s aggressive actions.

Regarding the provision of free educational guarantees for former officers who have the right to military pensions after long service, in accordance with the requirements of part 4 of Article 71 of the law, an additional guarantee has been established for them: former military personnel discharged from the armed forces with long-term military pension rights will have priority in being included in state-funded vocational retraining programs.