From Georges der Parthogh

NICOSIA May 27 --- Teachers and staff of the Melkonian Educational Institute (MEI) staged a one day strike yesterday (Thursday) in protest against the decision of the New York based central board of the AGBU to shut down the 78 year old co-educational school under the pretext that the standard of education was not high enough to warrant the continuation of its existence.

They also protested against a decision to bring forward the year-end exams by several weeks, thus depriving students of the benefit of a properly planned revision period, and announced that they would refuse to mark exam papers.

"It is cruel to change the exam dates and impose such a tight timetable on children. It is even more cruel to close the school early so that only the graduating class would be present at the end of year ceremony", a teacher said under condition of anonymity.

Speaking at a press conference on the premises of the school, representatives of the staff accused the AGBU, which is entrusted with the upkeep of the school of "crimes against Armenian education" and "crimes against the Armenian diaspora".

They also accused the central board of deliberately ignoring the work of the teachers. "Not one class room has been visited by any member of the central board, not one student has been examined and not one comparative statistic has been presented in coming to the conclusion that we are not performing well enough", said Keith Lawson, on behalf of the teaching staff.

"This is deeply offensive to us. We are professionally affronted and naturally suspicious that claims of falling standards are a convenient scapegoat for ulterior motives".

Teachers reiterated their claims that recently members of the administrative staff, entrusted by the AGBU, have been ringing parents to discourage them from sending their children to the MEI next year, despite published advertisements in the local press calling for new enrollments.

"The AGBU is trying to use us as scapegoats so that they may close the school and sell off the land on which it stands", a statement by the staff said.

According to current rates the Melkonian stands on prime land worth 80 million US dollars. However, the central board appears to be irritated by the Cyprus Government decision to impose a preservation order on a large section of the property including the two main school buildings, constructed in 1924, which have been declared a cultural heritage site.

espite the preservation order however, there is no guarantee that the school will continue to function after the year 2005.

The Parents Association and the Alumni with branches throughout Europe, the Middle East and America are convinced that the AGBU will sell the whole property, take the money and run.

In a circular to the faculty and staff dated May 27 the central board praised them for having fulfilled their "duties and responsibilities". It added the "socio-political and geo-demographic realities facing Armenians everywhere require an international organisation like the AGBU to be as visionary and responsive as it can be ... as a consequence it was our judgement that the MEI could no longer fulfill its mission within the broad and all encompassing context".

Speaking in a room full of placards with slogans reading "Watergate",  "Irangate", " Melkoniangate", "We Strike for the Future of Our Students", AGBU Central Board: Let's Talk About Your Declining Standards, "We Need MEI Graduates for the Nation's Future" Senior Master Dimitris Aristidou said: "We are witnesses to the murder of a school which is being carried out by means of a very slow strangulation. The game has gone too far and we need the support and responsibilities of the government".

The Melkonian, he said, was built for the educational needs of not only Cypriot Armenians but Armenians from all over the world, especially when they are in grave danger. He cited cases where Armenian children had found refuge in Cyprus from the civil war in Lebanon, revolutions in Iran and children without schools from Bulgaria and Albania after the fall of the Soviet regime.

He accused the central board of dictatorial tactics and hiring a high profile PR firm to push its one-sided version of the situation.

He recalled statements by all political parties pledging support for the MEI and condemning any attempts to close it, and when asked how he saw the future, if there is no government support, he said "Complete chaos".