The Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports (MoESCS) has strongly condemned the incident at the secondary school in Merdzavan village, Parakar community, Armavir Province.

During the incident, a history teacher was subjected to unacceptable treatment involving the acting principal, certain teachers, students, and parents.

In collaboration with the Armavir regional administration, the ministry has decided to dismiss the acting principal and appoint a new temporary principal in accordance with established procedures.

"Furthermore, the ministry will take all necessary steps, including legislative measures, to ensure the protection of teachers' rights in educational institutions and to create a healthy, respectful, and safe environment in the educational sphere.

The Merdzavan secondary school will be placed under special monitoring to study existing issues and take necessary actions, as the recorded incident indicates deep-rooted and multifaceted problems within the school," the statement reads.

*Earlier, the Human Rights Defender reported that during the incident at the Merdzavan secondary school, some teachers, students, and parents displayed unacceptable behavior toward a history teacher, including widespread hate speech. Videos involving children circulated online, and further dissemination could target the children.

A video showed a group of parents and students confronting the teacher in the school corridor, making loud accusations. Parents and students used defamatory and offensive language, accusing the teacher of promoting pro-Turkish sentiments and insulting students.*