Parents pointed out to the authorities of Ingushetia the unresolved problem of extortion in schools.

A resident of Ingushetia, Indira Barkenkhoeva, complained to the head of the republic that parents of schoolchildren are forced to contribute money for school needs and buy textbooks. Other local residents, commenting on her appeal on Telegram, also complained about extortion in schools and kindergartens. They demanded that school budgets be made public and urged parents to file complaints with the prosecutor's office.

As reported by "Caucasian Knot", on September 2, parents in Ingushetia complained about the collection of money in schools and kindergartens. According to them, refusing to contribute money may affect their child's treatment and academic performance.

A mother of two children from Ingushetia, blogger Indira Barkenkhoeva, addressed the head of Ingushetia Mahmud-Ali Kalimatov with a complaint about the collection of money. Her complaint was published on September 5 in the Telegram channel "Fortanga".

Barkenkhoeva emphasized that she does not blame the class teachers, as they are subordinate to the school administration. According to her, parents have to buy boards, blinds, chalk, rags, cleaning supplies, basins, paint, coolers, cups, and boilers for the classes, as well as textbooks, which, as she pointed out, should be provided by the state.

Parents have to pay for almost everything necessary for the class, Barkenkhoeva stated. "We are forced to collect money for absolutely everything: for the board, blinds, chalk, rags <...> cooler, cups, and boilers," she said.

The resident of Ingushetia reported that by September 1, she bought chalk and notebooks, but some notebooks had to be replaced due to a requirement for a different color. According to Barkenkhoeva, many mothers of schoolchildren write to her with similar complaints. She specifically mentioned the principal of one of the schools and accused her of demanding money. Barkenkhoeva also stated that money is demanded from families with low incomes. She questioned where the state funds allocated for school needs are spent.

Social media users confirmed extortion in schools

This post in the Telegram channel "Fortanga", which has about 11,900 subscribers, had received 33 reactions and 12 comments by 07:50 MSK on September 6.

Some users, identifying themselves as residents of Ingushetia, shared their own experiences of collections and pointed out that teachers themselves depend on the school administration.

"It's a pity for the teachers who stand between the administration and the parents and have no control over anything, but they have to tell parents such things and listen to complaints from both sides," noted Gargareec.

"I would also like to talk about the school. The uniform costs 4500, you can't sew it yourself, you can't buy it, and you have to order it through the principal. It's fine for one child, but some have two, three, or even four girls. Where should people get the money? Yes, we also collect. The teachers just have no choice. Either endure this or resign," wrote Leila Evloeva.

"We have four children in school and teachers often ask for money, and the principal is "not involved". It would be fine if they were teaching the children. In Surkhakhi, I won't name the school, for example, due to a lack of teachers, they combine or merge classes. For example, 11th and 6th grades have a math lesson in one class," noted a user with the nickname Paracetamol.

"This is absolutely true in all schools in Ingushetia. This problem is raised every year. Constant extortion from the administration for literally everything. Let them announce the school budget annually so that people know how much money is allocated for the maintenance of this or that institution. The absence of names and surnames of the incompetent administrators does not solve the problem. This problem exists in every school, check anonymously," suggested Tamara Gaisanova.

"I do not deny that there are many problems, but I am saying that everyone talks about this anywhere but where it needs to be," stated a user AZ.

As of 07:50 MSK on September 6, there were no comments on the website of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ingushetia regarding local residents' complaints about extortion in schools.

"Caucasian Knot" also reported that the problem of extortion in schools and kindergartens has been relevant in Ingushetia for a long time. Thus, on September 8, 2022, the Ministry of Education and Science of Ingushetia called on parents to report attempts to collect money for the needs of state kindergartens after complaints about such collections. Social media users then pointed out that the problem is also relevant in schools. On September 11, 2021, residents of the republic complained about the resumption of extortion in schools and kindergartens.