‘There Are Many Like You’: Deputy Minister of Education Responds to the Educator Mother of a Fallen Soldier

The mother of a fallen soldier, who has a significant career in education, received a sharp response from Deputy Minister of Education and Science Araksya Svajyan, stating, ‘There are many like you.’ This was mentioned today, January 9, during a teachers’ protest in front of the Ministry of Education and Science, by Gurgen Sargsyan, the father of fallen serviceman Sargsyan Poghosyan, noting that his wife works at School No. 3 in Armavir.

‘She has a significant contribution, yet they give such a response to a woman who has collected 59 points. For what reason?’ he said.

Another teacher remarked, ‘If they were not going to provide us with opportunities, why did they include us in mandatory certification? Our certificates are still valid, and they have violated our rights. We still have the right to work; on what grounds are they releasing us from our jobs? What basis do they have? We have 2-3 years left until retirement. They should either allow us to work or give us a second chance to take the certification voluntarily. We were told on December 25 that the response to our letter would be sent, but it has not yet been sent.’

It should be noted that teachers with intermediate vocational education who have not passed the threshold for mandatory certification and were dismissed from their jobs in December 2023 are protesting in front of the Ministry of Education and Science. They demand that they, like teachers with higher education, first be sent for retraining and then given another opportunity to take the certification.