Russian Teacher Fired

RUSSIAN ENGLISH TEACHER FIRED FOR EXPRESSING OPINION

By Stephen Wilson

 

 

           "Good day, Dear Governor, why do I earn at school 12,000 rubles and I'm allowed to do half a workload? I am a teacher with a certificate from Cambridge and have work experience in China. Do you consider that this is normal pay to teach your children?" wrote a Russian English teacher at school number Three in Sevastopol Natalie Yelgina on the site of the Governor of the City Mikhail Razvozhaev who had invited people to freely send their comments and views to his newly announced site dealing with problems in 2019. However, after sending this complaint to the site about low pay Natalie Yelgina was summoned into the school head's office, scolded and interrogated at center 'E' and dismissed from her post.

 

The Russian English teacher, like many Russians, felt offended that she and so many other teachers were living on or below the poverty line while the Russian elite were living in great luxury and splendor in their palaces!

She faced many allegations that she supported Navalny, and called on people to attend unsanctioned meetings. She has been accused of extremism. This appears to be the insinuation of the mayor which Natalie refuted. "Can you show me proof that I made such a call?" The mayor answered, "I have come to explain and talk to you about this not to accuse you." She retorted, "I don't support Putin or Navalny, but simply want that I earn better pay."

 

Of course, the reasons for the dismissal presented by the authorities are not her expressed opinion, but 'violating work discipline' and refusing to take on extra classes such as the tenth class, refusing to meet the class manager, and on the grounds that her methodology does not correspond to standards laid down by the school. 

"This person worked in China, and taught children via clap dancing, but children need to read and write," stated the head. The school teacher declared she would take her case to court. In a country with a normal legal system, Yelgina would have a firm and well grounded case for unfair dismissal. Her right to freedom of expression and conscience have been violated by both the Russian governor and the head of the school. Under the Constitution of the Russian Federation, article 18 guarantees freedom of expression. She could claim that Under the legal codex relating to Russian Education, number 273-F3, article 47, point 3, a teacher has the right to freely choose their methodology as long as they stick to the main school program. It is almost difficult to imagine that the teacher was neglecting the importance of reading and writing in teaching English. Many teachers use their hands and all kinds of songs to help students learn vocabulary and speaking. In fact, too many school students are leaving school with a knowledge of grammar but without an idea of  how to speak English in a practical way which would help them secure a job in an international company. They learn how to pass tests rather than how to speak English in a practical and useful way.

 

Some of the allegations against the teacher strike you as absurd. I mean is writing a comment suggesting a teacher is low-paid evidence of 'lack of upbringing?!!' What on earth do those officials define as having a 'proper upbringing'? We can easily guess that a properly brought up person is someone who obeys authority and never asks 'uncomfortable questions.' 

You may as well regard freedom of speech and discussion as a form of rudeness itself if this is their crude definition. Being polite in the classroom means pupils never move, never ask strange questions and always maintain a rigid posture where they completely sit behind desks without moving.

If officials were genuinely interested in building a genuinely improved and caring education system they would not be currently firing so many talented and accomplished school teachers who simply ask awkward questions! Second City Teachers have encountered endless cases in Russia of school teachers being dismissed for whimsical, capricious and petty reasons. And practically all those dismissals grossly violate the Law on Education and the Constitution.