We the staff at Melkonian Educational Institute wish to make the following public statement:

·     We are totally dissatisfied by the ignorant behaviour of the Central Board of the AGBU in failing to respond in writing to our letters of November 2003 and April 2004. 

·     We are professionally outraged at the assertion made by the AGBU in their position paper of 16th March that we do not provide excellent opportunities to our students. 

·     We do not accept that educational provision and performance in our school is of a low standard. 

·     We believe that, despite the platitudes to staff contained within the position paper of the AGBU, we are being made the scapegoat in their decision to close the school. 

·     We conclude that, whatever the judged level of success of the school over recent years, the decision to close the school had already been taken, behind closed doors, without consultation with any party affected by the decision.  

We have, thus far, acted with a professional dignity that has been remarkable in the circumstances and yet have gained nothing in response. We are not prepared to do so any longer.

 We fully understand that the AGBU will accuse us of damaging our students’ education should we take more radical action. However, we feel that the irony, coming from those that would close the school, would not be lost on the general public.

 We feel that we are the ones that carry a genuine care for the young people in our charge and, unfortunately, must come to the conclusion that open, honest and reasonable behaviour is simply taken advantage of whilst others deal contemptuously with students’ and teachers’ lives and careers.

 We are left with no other option than to bring the above grievances to public attention by industrial action.