Civil society servants are concerned about situation in special school #11 and sent letter to education minister

Civil Society Institute, Helsinki Committee of Armenia and Fund Against Violations of Law NGOs and several citizens have sent an open letter to Armenia's Minister of Education and Science Armen Ashotyan relating to Special School #11 in Nubarashen district in Yerevan.

Earlier an investigative journalist had revealed that one of the female children at this school had been subjected to abuse with sexual character by Levon Avagyan - a teacher at that school who has already been found guilty and sentenced.

"The situation over Special School #11 continues to raise uncertainty. The former principal M. Engibaryan has at the beginning of July appealed to the Administrative Court requesting to restore his position. The school still employs people who, according to the testimony by the schoolchildren, have been accomplice in various violations against the schoolchildren or informed about them but have remained criminally indifferent," reads the letter.

Further it says that based on what was said by Karen Batikyan - Levon Avagyan's investigator - it turns out that Lilit Berberyan, who is currently holding the position of the principal, also took part in concealing the facts.

Saying that they are very much concerned about the moral-psychological atmosphere in that school the initiators of the letter propose doing the following:
 

• Investigate the violations that took place in that school
• Conduct a study on the professional abilities and capabilities of the staff
• Investigate issues when there is a conflict of interest due to family and relations and correspondingly make some personnel changes