A Revolt is Brewing at the Goris State College

The newspaper "Haykakan Zhamanak" reports that a tense atmosphere is present in the Armenian education system. It has come to light that a revolt is brewing at the Goris State College, where a strike and sit-in have been underway for the past four days.

The protest at the Goris State College began on May 12, following an unacceptable decision made by the Armenian government, as claimed by the strikers. The issue at hand is the government’s decision to merge Goris State College with Goris Agricultural College, as per a directive issued on April 17.

In an interview with the newspaper, the director of Goris State College, Karen Lazaryan, shared insights on the prevailing discontent following the decision. “According to the government's decision, the two colleges are to be merged into a new institution, creating the Goris State Multidisciplinary College. When the decision was announced, many did not see any issues, but a question arose regarding who would lead it,” explained Lazaryan.

He noted that he has heard rumors suggesting that the acting director of Goris Agricultural College’s staff discussed that they would comprise the leadership of the new college. However, according to the law, a temporary appointment must be made post-merger, followed by a competition. “Let whoever wins the competition win,” he stated.

Amidst these discussions, Lazaryan said they approached the Minister of Education and the country's leaders regarding their concerns.

He confirmed that there are rumors claiming that one of the candidates for the director position has direct backing from members of the ruling party. “The talk in the region suggests that this is being arranged by Goris Deputy Armen Khachatryan and Syunik Governor Robert Ghukasyan. They have, as it were, guaranteed that the leadership will come from the Agricultural College,” he mentioned.

Moreover, it has come to the newspaper's attention that a candidate by the name of Anna Torosyan, currently the acting director of the Agricultural College, is already aspiring for the position at the new college. According to Lazaryan, Torosyan’s mother-in-law previously held the director position and later passed the role to her daughter-in-law, who is now seeking to become the director of the newly established Goris State Multidisciplinary College.

The faculty has yet to receive a definitive response from the Ministry of Education regarding the appointment of a new director, which has led to the idea of an untimely strike taking root.

The demands of those protesting at the college are straightforward: the new college’s head should have no ties to the ruling party, whether from a deputy or governor, but should instead be an independent candidate.

When asked if this might be a political vendetta against him, Lazaryan replied, “maybe.”

For further details, refer to the original source.