Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly-Vanadzor

Due to the legal support of Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly Vanadzor, the child who was not enrolled in Vanadzor No. 24 kindergarten was reinstated in the kindergarten. 

This information was given in Vanadzor community head Mamikon Aslanyan’s note dated July 29, 2019. 

The mother of the child with autism spectrum disorder applied to HCA Vanadzor after the management of the kindergarten informed her that the child could not attend kindergarten because of health problems and referred her to kindergartens that provided inclusive education. The director also invoked other parents’ discontent. 

Before that, the director had not seen any obstacles to accept the child to the kindergarten and had only required a medical check document on the child’s health state. 

It is not known how the other parents were informed about the child’s health problems, but in accordance with the information the director provided to the parent, parents of the other children objected to this child with health problems attending the kindergarten and applied to Gor Badyan, Head of the Department of Culture, Education and Youth Affairs in Vanadzor municipality. 

After that, this child’s mother was obliged to solve the contract signed with the kindergarten and applied to HCA Vanadzor with this matter. 

On June 12, 2019, the Organization applied to Mamikon Aslanyan, Head of Vanadzor community, to obtain information as to how the other parents were informed about the child’s problem, when it was personal data and was not subject to publication, whether proceedings had been initiated on this matter and whether the child’s parent had participated in the discussion of this matter within the framework of the proceedings, what conditions had obliged the parent to solve the contract. 

Vanadzor municipality responded only with respect to the part that the municipality had not received any application from the parents, they had applied to the director and the latter suggested transferring the child to an inclusive kindergarten. 

On July 9, 2019, HCA Vanadzor applied to Vanadzor municipality for the second time and informed that on July 3, 2019, after examining the child, J. Ghulijanyan, neurologist in Vanadzor Medical Center, gave a conclusion that “the child can attend a non-inclusive kindergarten”. 

Based on these facts and the RA Law on “Preschool Education”, HCA Vanadzor claimed to restore the child’s violated rights and take measures to reinstate the child in the same kindergarten. 

In the note dated July 29, 2019, Mamikon Aslanyan, Head of Vanadzor municipality, informed that the child would be reinstated in the kindergarten.