Yerevan Teachers, Parents Protest Threats by Acting Principal

A disgraceful situation and instability reigns in Yerevan High School no. 42 named after Taras Shevchenko: even during classes teachers argue with each other over who is going to be the school’s next principal, from which the students at the school suffer, reads an open letter sent to Epress.am by several parents and teachers protesting the current situation which they say is conditioned by the presence of Eleonara Tumanyan, the acting principal sent by the education ministry.

“Prior to being appointed as acting principal at our school, Eleonara Tumanyan was the head of the Yerevan City Hall culture and tourism department during [former mayor] Gagik Beglaryan’s term and was made redundant during Karen Karapetyan’s term. She is a member of the Republican Party of Armenia, from the personnel of RA Minister of Education and Science Armen Ashotyan,” reads the letter, in part.

According to the teachers, Tumanyan has managed to threaten everyone in the two months she has been in her temporary post. They say she has terrorized teachers and the vice principal, stating that if they don’t support her, they will be cast off into the street and be left without work.

“She also threatened the parents, saying that if they don’t back her, they’ll find their kids in the street. Despite all this, our entire school and teachers, parents and students support Liana Avagyan and defend her nomination [for school principal],” write the teachers and parents.