Belarusian Parents Intercepted the Initiative at Schools and Hold Information Classes

One keeps children safe from propaganda.

Salidarnasts asked parents and found that some schools cancelled information classes in order not to cause resentment among parents because of state propaganda.

Anna's child (name changed at the request of the interlocutor) is studying at one of Slutsk schools.

- It all started on September 1. The homeroom teacher told the children at the first lesson: "Look at a wonderful president we have (he pointed at a portrait on the wall). Thanks to him we live in such a stable and great country.

The teacher didn't see some children for six months. They studied remotely because of coronavirus. I don't understand, why was it necessary to talk about the president? Could one ask how children spent their holidays?

During the next information hour, the teacher again touched upon political issues. I called him and wondered what the information hour aimed at and asked not to bring politics in children's lives. He mentioned a work plan from the Education Department and his obligation to comply with it.

The teacher has recently warned the children that they should be home at 7-8 pm as Slutsk holds rallies in the evening.

Anna wants to write an application to the school administration to keep her child out of information hour. However, she is worried about the impact it will have on her family.

"September 1 reminded us of an evening in a Turkish hotel. No one from the administration took the floor.

Capital school No. 194 cancelled information classes in senior classes this year. According to parents, it was due to the election fraud and teachers' involvement in it.

- Although Tikhanouskaya won at one of the school polling stations, parents believe that there was a ballot-box stuffing because there was no landslide," says Alice, the mother of the senior student (the name was changed at the request of the interlocutor ).

- We have active school chats; people expressed their opinions.

Teachers live in our neighbourhood. It got to the point that some members of the commission began to wrote that they had nothing to do with stuffing and voted for Tsikhanouskaya. Some remain silent.

Alice compares September 1 to an evening in a Turkish hotel:

- There were animators to dance with children. Then pupils were invited to classrooms. No one from the school administration greeted the children.

Alice believes the school administration is afraid of contacting parents after public discussion in school chats.

- Apparently, they decided to avoid all possible contacts. There was no school-wide parent meeting; information classes were not held.

Children were not allowed to write about the shutdown of the Kupala Theater.

- In September, parents asked a class teacher about politics at the school," says Christina (name changed), the mother of a student at Pershamaiski District gymnasium in Minsk.

- They answered there would be no politics.

When Kristina asked the homeroom teacher to send a list of topics discussed during the information classes, she received no answer. Moreover, the children are mature enough to handle these topics on their own. Mother wrote to the school administration and soon got a reply.

- It turned out there were common topics that one could tell from any ideological position. They involved the Constitution, human rights, and so on. One of the topics concerned the centennial of the Kupala Theater. Children, who wrote an essay on it, were asked not to mention the latest events.

Christina believes that information classes can be useful for children in the new Belarus. In her opinion, it is worth taking urgent topics such as financial management, weekly budgeting, and human rights.

Parents intercepted the initiative and hold the information classes themselves now

At the very beginning of the academic year, Anastasia and Raman Maladyashyny offered the school administration to let parents hold information classes.

- The director did not mind. Guess how many parents joined my husband and me. That's right - zero.

Now we tell our children about all the useful things in life. Husband shares his knowledge of Excel and financial literacy. I tell them about marketing and HR-specialists.

The homeroom teacher has more free time. We let children speak out and understand how mentally free and incredible they are.