Pressurization of Parents of Lyceum Pupils

10.10.2003.

Based on information of Radio “Liberty”

Halina Papova works as a teacher in gymnasium No. 15. Her daughter Varvara learns at the National lyceum. Halina Papova is a member of the parents’ assembly of the lyceum. In summer she actively participated in all measures, organized by the lyceum pupils and parents.

This curriculum year she received only 18 hours at her school. Instead of giving her some spare hours, the school administration employed two more teachers. Halina Papova went to the director to find out about the reason. The director immediately called the social pedagogue and they both started to ask where Halina’s daughter was learning and why she wasn’t going to school. They proposed her to bring the personal case of her daughter to the school where she worked. When she refused they promised he would work with the fewest number of hours possible, which means the lowest wage as well.

Alena Dets, mother of another female lyceum pupil, teaches Belarusian language and literature at secondary school No. 180. She also felt the pressure of the school administration. On 1 September she came to her office room and found that all her things were brought to another room and were lying there in a mess. When some parents came to help her cleaning the windows and taking the things to their places, they saw large holes in the windowpanes. They said that they won’t let their children learn in such a room. Only after this some repair works has started there. The teacher went to the director to settle the question of the repairs, but instead of the answer the director asked her where her daughter was learning. He said that the authorities pressurized him and he could lose his job without any perspective of employment unless she solved the question with her daughter.

The parents, who work at higher educational establishments, were summoned to directors as well. The directors threatened to fire them and proposed their support in joining the children to some educational establishments, other than the lyceum. The teachers concluded that the city educational department had ordered something to the administrations of the educational institutions where parents of the lyceum pupils worked.