Parents and students are being harassed for refusing to collect in the classroom

The People's Front told Izvestia about several cases of bullying by school staff and parents for refusing to donate money for the needs of the classroom and educational institution. In March-April 2025, the movement conducted an annual comprehensive survey, combining the responses of its participants and citizens' appeals to the direct line of the Russian President.

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"One-off payments can sometimes reach large amounts, and parents who refuse to hand over money are often tried to be hit in rights compared to others. For example, the mother of a student from the Novgorod region was excluded from parent chats, and the child could not attend the graduation in the fifth grade because of the refusal to hand over 20 thousand rubles for gifts to the teacher and the event," the NF said

And the parents of a schoolchild from Crimea told how the teacher publicly demanded that their child left the school matinee because they did not hand over money for an animator. Residents of the Vologda region reported that the school administration and parents organized harassment of the family who refused to give money for printed notebooks and school needs.

In addition, according to the monitoring results, 81% of parents of students are forced to purchase printed teaching aids (workbooks) at their own expense. Lawyer, member of the Council of the Moscow Regional Branch of the Association of Lawyers of Russia, Deputy Chairman of the Bar Association "Sulim and Partners" Daniil Chernykh-Aipov called "extortion" from parents of schoolchildren a systemic problem.

"Despite regular statements by officials about the inadmissibility of such practices, such fees continue to exist in various forms: from workbooks to financing holidays and gifts to staff. Such demands are unlawful," he said

According to the Russian Constitution, everyone has the right to education, and the state guarantees universally accessible and free preschool and secondary education in state and municipal institutions.

The law "On Education in the Russian Federation" also points to the same principles. The lawyer explained that workbooks are part of the teaching kit and should be provided to schoolchildren free of charge.

Read more in Izvestia's exclusive article:

School disgraces: parents and pupils are harassed for refusing to collect in class