Mkhchyan Village School Principal Resigns: Investigation Ongoing

The principal of Mkhchyan Secondary School submitted a resignation request on Friday. This was confirmed by Martun Manukyan, head of the Education, Culture, and Sports Department of the Ararat Regional Administration, in a conversation with NEWS.am.

When asked whether only the principal submitted the resignation or if other staff members did as well, he responded, "The principal is responsible for appointing and dismissing employees; currently, there is no principal to oversee dismissals. Perhaps there will be a new principal, which could lead to additional resignation requests."

Martun Manukyan noted that an acting principal would be appointed within two hours. He added, "The educational process is proceeding normally, and I am organizing the work at the school myself."

It is important to recall that residents of Mkhchyan have reported that several boys from the higher grades of the Kristapor Alaverdi School in Mkhchyan village of the Ararat region tied up two fourth-grade students in the school's restroom and forced them to take drugs. Following this incident, the children exhibited signs of addiction and started stealing money from their homes to purchase drugs from the same students.

According to Auroranews, the investigative committee announced that a criminal case has been initiated regarding the incident under Article 258, Part 2, Points 2, 5, and 8 of the Criminal Code (robbery committed by a group of people with prior agreement against a helpless person and against a minor), and public criminal prosecution has been launched against four individuals.

In relation to this case, Minister of Education, Science, Culture, and Sports Zhanna Andreasyan stated that anyone who was aware of this situation would be immediately dismissed from their positions. "The situation that lasted four months could not go unnoticed; it indicates that someone was not doing their job properly. There will be no compromises; questions are being raised, and if it is found that someone did not perform their duties adequately, we cannot allow such a person to continue working with children. An individual who has daily contact with children cannot overlook changes in behavior. I see the school's accountability very clearly," Andreasyan said.