PUPILS OF SPECIAL SCHOOL STAGE PROTEST ACTION

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[05:19 pm] 01 December, 2008

The pupils of Yerevan’s special school N9 staged a silent protest
action in front of the President’s residence on December 1. The
children were accompanied by their parents. The protesters refused
to utter a word. Chairman of the "Community and Right" NGO, Advocate
Samvel Lazarian presented their demands and concerns. "The government
doesn’t allow them to speak up!" he said.

Note that under a government decision the school of hard hearing
children must unite with special school N15 for deaf and mute. The
parents say their children have an ability to speak, they simply
have hearing problems and if the schools are united they will have
to use gestures.

"These children cannot get adapted to the new surrounding. They will
feel depressed in the new atmosphere," said Samvel Lazarian.

Over 117 children from different Armenian marzes, as well as from
Karabakh, Georgia, Javakhk and Russia, attend School N9.

The demonstrators were promised to be given a chance to pose their
demands during an upcoming meeting with the deputy Minister of
Education and Science.

"We hope that the problem will be addressed otherwise the parents
will go on a termless strike," ensured Samvel Lazarian.