Tatarstan Education Minister forbids collecting money from pupils’ parents in any form from 7 October

Starting 7 October, schools in Tatarstan are forbidden to collect funds and other items of value from the parents for any needs. A respective letter, signed by Tatarstan Education and Science Minister Engel Fattakhov, had been sent to the chiefs of municipality education departments, Tatarstan Education and Science Ministry’s press service told Tatar-inform.

The ministry repeatedly instructed the executive education authorities to observe the current legislation and prevent educational establishments from collecting financial means and items of value from pupils’ parents, reads the document. Individuals and public associations, however, keep reporting incidents of the kind taking place. 

“The practice affects the image of an educational institution, fosters a parents’ negative attitude to the education system as a whole, financially deprives many parents, and destroys a teacher’s authority and honour,” the document stresses.

Education authorities need to convey the contents of the letter to parents, chairs of parental committees, heads of boards of trustees, the public, and teaching staff, before 10 October 2014.

To avoid educational establishment’s administration being accused of imposing events like guided tours and theatre and cinema visits, funded by parents, parents need to be explained that they need to arrange events of the type on their own, without the help of the educational establishment.

Local education authorities are obliged to supervise the instructions being followed and hold responsible education officials who breach the letter’s provisions.