Teachers criticize Chechen authorities' interference in school performance

Transferring lists of underperforming students to the Chechen authorities will not improve the academic performance of schoolchildren, but will only create additional psychological problems for them, teachers interviewed by the "Caucasian Knot" are sure. The proposed measure is not only unethical, but also contrary to the law, the lawyer pointed out.

"Caucasian Knot" wrote that lists of underperforming students at the end of the new academic year will be sent to the administration of the head and government of the republic. Social network users called this plan blackmail, calling for the introduction of new teaching methods and work with children, and not intimidating parents.

Moscow school teachers Oksana Fimina and Irina Eremenko, as well as a college teacher in the Moscow region Elena Smirnova and an education lawyer Anton Dudin commented on the predicted consequences of handing over the lists of underperforming schoolchildren to the administration of the head and government of Chechnya to the "Caucasian Knot".

A teacher with more than 20 years of experience in school Oksana Fimina expressed concerns that handing over the lists of underperformers to the regional authorities could lead to serious stigmatization of children.

"In my practice, I have seen how even informal labels like "weak student" or "underperformer" affect a child's self-esteem. Children in adolescence are especially vulnerable: they can feel like outcasts, which leads to decreased motivation, depression or even aggression. Instead of motivating, it creates a barrier, and the child begins to associate school not with support, but with punishment. I have always tried to work individually, focusing on the student's strengths, rather than publicly highlighting weaknesses. This does not help, but only exacerbates the problems," she said.

Creating lists of underachievers and the threat of being kept back a year do not motivate students, confirms Irina Eremenko, who has worked at the school for over 15 years.

"Such measures do not help, but rather hinder. Over the years, I have realized that improving methods is a matter of professional growth, which requires seminars, sharing experiences with colleagues, access to modern materials and time for individual work with students. Lists and threats of being kept back a year create an additional administrative burden, because teachers waste time on bureaucracy instead of a creative approach. This leads to stress not only among students, but also among educators. In my practice, threats rarely motivated - they cause fear, but not understanding. It would be better to introduce support programs, additional classes or psychological assistance so that teachers could really help children overcome difficulties, and not just record them and scare students," she said.

Eremenko agrees with the opinion that officials decided to blackmail parents instead of improving the quality of education and working to really improve children's academic performance.

"This looks like an attempt to bypass systemic problems through administrative pressure, and not through real pedagogical work. There may be various reasons for students falling behind, ranging from overcrowded classes and a shortage of qualified personnel to outdated programs and the lack of modern tools, such as digital platforms or interactive lessons. "Blackmailing parents through lists is an attempt to shift responsibility onto families, ignoring the role of the education system," the teacher said.

The measure announced by the Chechen authorities will have the opposite effect - an increase in tension and mistrust between the school and parents, who will see teachers not as partners, but as a source of threat, believes Elena Smirnova.

"Successful education is built on partnership between the school and parents. When teachers are forced to make lists that are perceived as a threat with possible consequences for the family or child, parents begin to see us not as allies, but as overseers. All this destroys the trust necessary for joint work on academic performance, mistrust can lead to parents transferring their child to another school. Instead, we need open communication in the form of parent-teacher meetings, consultations, where everyone finds solutions together," she said.

Smirnova also noted that creating any lists of students increases corruption risks. "It is important for parents that their children are not on such lists. For this, they are ready to do a lot, including somehow thanking the teacher so that their child is not on the list of underachievers. Many parents do not have the physical time to spend on their children, but they can buy a gift for the teacher at any time. But there is another problem here: families with resources will get by, while the vulnerable will be the losers. I have always advocated for transparency and equality in education, where success depends on effort, not manipulation," she noted.

The proposed measure contradicts the principles of personal data protection and pedagogical ethics, its implementation may harm the mental health of children, Anton Dudin.

"Such a measure contradicts the Federal Law "On Education in the Russian Federation". According to Article 3 of this law, education in Russia is based on the principles of the priority of human rights and freedoms, humanism, the unity of the federal educational space and the protection of the rights of the child. The transfer of lists of lagging schoolchildren to the administration of the head of the region is not provided as a mandatory measure for monitoring the quality of education and can be regarded as interference in the autonomy of educational organizations, which contradicts Article 29 of the Law on Education. This article requires schools to publish general information about their activities, but not personalized data on the academic performance of individual students. "The authorities can monitor the quality of education, but I have no right to demand the transfer of personal lists of those who are lagging behind," he told the "Caucasian Knot."

In addition, the Chechen authorities are violating the Federal Law "On Personal Data," he notes.

"Article 3 of this law states that personal data includes any information related to an individual, including data on academic performance, which is a special category related to education and minors. The processing of such data, including transfer, is possible only with the consent of the subject, and in the case of minors, with the consent of the parents. "Protecting schools from parental claims" cannot be the basis for disseminating such information about children. Parents, even if they have already signed some documents and allowed the processing and transfer of data about their children, can challenge the legality of these actions in court,” he said.

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