7000 People Without a Job Because of Drop in Number of Students in School: Principal

According to a government decision, 7,000 jobs have been cut in the field of general education since Jan. 1, a principal of one of the schools in Ararat marz (province) who requested to be unnamed informed Epress.am.

According to the principal, a commission was set up in their province to study the issue. The commission decided that in those schools where the number of students exceeds 300, the positions that would've been cut will be reduced to part-time. While those schools having fewer students, some positions will be cut. Also cut are half of the technical staff. For example, in this principal's school, 3 of the 6 janitors were made redundant. 

The principal said that with the same government decision, the wages of those still employed in the education system will increase on Jul. 1. 

"When we complained at the district administration, saying how can you lay off people, how are they going to live, we were told, well, the number of students have dropped in your schools; paying wages to rural teachers is pointless," said the principal.