Students from School No. 1 after Khachatur Abovyan in the town of Abovyan in Armenia’s Kotayk Province boycotted classes on Friday to demand the resignation of the newly appointed principal and the reappointment of the former principal.
Chanting “Go away!”, the pupils tried to enter the principal’s office but did not manage to approach it since police officers have been stationed outside it.
"Look how they protect the principal from the students. How long should this situation continue? the protesting students said, then addressing the police, added: "The person hiding behind those doors is to work with students, how is she going to work?"
While police attempted to remove the students from the area close to the principal's office, they kept voicing their demands for the return of the former principal, Metaksya Babayan.
In Babayan’s words, no competition was announced for the principal’s position and the education ministry made the new appointment, a decision deplored by students, their parents and teachers at the school.
Also, she denied the claims that she had forced the students and their parents to hold a protest using some “leverages”.
"I am simply a history teacher having 8 classes, what leverages can I possibly have?" she told reporters.
According to her, the fact of calling the police has angered both the parents and students, pushing them to stage a protest today.