Minister of Education Visits Schoolchildren and Teachers Affected by Tragic Accident

The Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sports of Armenia, Zhanna Andreasian, has traveled to Kapan to visit the schoolchildren and teachers who were injured in a tragic car accident the day before. This was reported by the Ministry of Education.

During a brief meeting held at the Syunik Regional Administration, the minister was presented with the situation. Following that, Minister Zhanna Andreasian and Syunik Governor Robert Ghukasyan visited the medical center in Kapan, where the injured are receiving treatment. The minister and the governor spoke with them and wished for a swift recovery.

“The accident that occurred in the Syunik province the day before is indeed a tragedy. An analysis must be conducted to understand why such a situation arose. The law enforcement agencies are, of course, doing their job, the investigation is ongoing, but the Ministry of Education, as the authorized body in the education sector, must carry out a specific analysis of how the transportation process for children is organized. Our attention and vigilance must be multiplied when it comes to the safety of children. The relevant criteria and requirements must be very clear. The control mechanisms must also be regulated and strict when we talk about transportation vehicles carrying children,” said the minister.

According to her, unified standards must apply, regardless of which organization carries out the children's transportation. In this case, the service of the bus involved in the accident was ordered from a private organization, but according to the minister, this has no bearing on addressing the issue; a uniform standard will provide general requirements for everyone.

“The Ministry of Education is gathering information from all schools where transportation services are organized. Moreover, this issue concerns not only school attendance but also the vehicles used for organizing excursions,” said the minister.

Zhanna Andreasian also noted that the Ministry of Education is in constant contact with the regional administration to support the schoolchildren and teachers affected by the tragic accident.

“It is very unfortunate that a teacher lost her life as a result of the incident; I express my condolences and support to the relatives. This is a tragedy for both the school and the students and for us,” the minister stated.

Many of the children have already been discharged, the condition of others is assessed as satisfactory; one of the teachers, whose condition is serious, has been transferred to one of the medical facilities in the capital, while the condition of others is stable and they are receiving the necessary medical assistance.

The minister mentioned that discussions have been held with the regional administration regarding providing psychological support to the affected children and teachers, as well as organizing the further educational process.

On March 10, a traffic accident occurred on the Kapan-Norashenik road: a bus carrying students and staff from the Okhtar village secondary school left the roadway and fell into the Achanan River from a bridge approximately 5 meters high.