Teacher Fired

RUSSIAN TEACHER FIRED FOR PHOTO

By Stephen Wilson

'Smile and the World smiles with you ' was the warm well intended advice

of a nursing instructor years ago. Well, the World does not always smile

back at you. At least not all the time. In fact smiling often irritates, annoys

and angers people. When I once worked in a Russian school in Khimiki

near Moscow my "Good morning" to the assistant headmistress was met

with a stony grim silence. Despite working at this school for a year I can't

recall a single teacher greeting me back once. Only the friendly janitors

had time for you. Misery likes company would be more appropriate advice

for entering some Russian schools. A Russian told me they never send a

photo for attaining passport with a smile on it lest it be sent back because

you should express a more serious look .You should send a photo with a

more serious, sullen or stern expression. It helps to frown.

This attitude helps to explain the plight of a luckless Russian language and

literature teacher, Tanya Kuvshinnikova, who was fired from her post after

some parent sent a complaint about a photo to the headmistress of her

school number 13, in Barnaul,Siberia. The letter complains that since the

teacher looks like 'a prostitute' because she is wearing a dress above her

knees, she is leaving a stain on the reputation of the school. "Who is she

trying to entice?" states the unpleasant letter.  This is just nonsense! If you

look at any of the photos the teacher has simply been swimming and is

conveying a warm, pleasant  and friendly smile. The teacher comes across

as vivacious, affable and friendly. It is an entirely  innocuous photo. The

teacher claimed she was attempting to promote a healthy style of living

by encouraging people to do winter swimming by bathing in cold water. But

instead of being commended, she finds herself fired. Even when the Local

Minister of Education intervened to fully support the teacher, by stating that

such talented and clever teachers should be encouraged to enter and

remain in schools, Tanya's situation has not improved. She stated that at

every lesson she gave after the incident there was an inspection by someone

from a commission. "I thought it would be definitely possible to work until

the holidays, but now I have written another letter of resignation. My colleagues

have been shooting me poisonous glances. They gather, and condemn me.

Because of such an atmosphere from morning to night my wish to go to school

has fallen.... I earn 12,000 rubles. It is possible to state that I work more for an

idea than money. I would like to be seen as a good teacher in the eyes of children,

especially those students who want to study. But the headmistress stated to me

that I was not a valued teacher! And I thought that there is no sense in working

in such a place. "Tanya hopes to set up her own school or educational project.

The local Minister of Education Maxim Kostenko to his credit, has promised that

Tanya won't be left without work. The Minister stated in reference to the dismissal

that: "Often emotions arise which are higher than a truly reasonable decision".

If only headmasters and mistresses at all Russian schools were so reasonable.

It is interesting to ask: "What does a prostitute actually look like ?" At this moment

of time in Moscow many woman are wearing attire such as dark tights, mini skirts

and long black boots. This attire has long been associated with the stereotyped

appearance of a prostitute. Yet those women who wear such clothes are not

prostitutes at all. It is simply the fashion! It can be very difficult to identify a

prostitute.

In recent years there have been widely publicized cases of Russian school teachers

being dismissed just for posting a photo of themselves in a swimming costume or

lying on the beach. The basis for firing teachers is article 48 of Russian Labor

codex in Education where a teacher can be fired for 'unethical behavior' . However,

the codex fails to spell out exactly what they define as unethical behavior resulting

in teachers being fired for a dress someone dislikes or for a face book photo of

themselves kissing a friend. What makes the case of 38-year-old Teacher Tanya

Kuvshinnikova more disturbing is the lack of support of her own colleagues.

Instead of supporting her they have shunned her. It is terrible that a good teacher's

efforts should be not only derided, but that she is made to feel so isolated. No

wonder she no longer yearns to return to school number 13.