“There are no regular classes!”: Krasnoyarsk parents on pressure after 9th grade

Ninth-graders across Russia are being strongly advised to go to college instead of 10th grade, with low OGE scores cited as a reason for refusal. However, schools are not legally allowed to deny a child education: even if they fail selection for a specialized class, they must be given a place in a regular one. We asked readers on Telegram and Max to share whether they faced issues when enrolling in 10th grade. Here’s what they said.

Many readers report not a direct refusal, but that the school simply has no choice: there are no regular classes, and specialized ones are filled based on an internal ranking.

“There are no regular classes! And the school decides this. We faced this in 2025, left our school due to the lack of the needed profile and regular class,” said a reader named Tatyana.

“It’s like that everywhere. There are no ‘regular’ classes. They refuse if the child doesn’t pass the internal ranking, and send them to find a place in other schools. By August, you won’t get into those either; places are taken,” wrote subscriber natalie.

One reader named a specific Krasnoyarsk school.

“Yes, this is practiced at Gymnasium 13, on Kirenskogo Street. Students without C grades are forced to take their documents or transfer to another school,” claimed reader Yelena.

There was also advice for those being pressured to leave.

“Don’t take your documents, and don’t leave. They’ll manage,” recommended user Alyona Tea Temerova.

Some left school voluntarily.

“Unfortunately, the level of education is such that teachers themselves say there’s nothing to do in 10th-11th grade. My son, a good student, left after 9th grade for a technical college, studies happily there, while his friends, also good students, finished 10th grade with C’s, not just one,” shared subscriber Yelena Rudenko.

She also noted the choice of profiles.

“And yes, from 5 classes they formed only 2: police and technological,” she added.

For some readers, this wasn’t news.

“This has been going on for a long time,” reacted reader Svetlana briefly.

“It’s a nightmare what’s happening. They won’t even let you finish school,” complained user NaTalYa.

Readers debated the reasons separately. Some attribute the screening to grades and behavior, while others suspect school statistics.

“It’s because of poor grades or bad behavior. Many parents think so,” explained subscriber Larisa.

“They gladly take good and excellent students, but low achievers will fail the Unified State Exam in 11th grade, and the school’s status will drop with all the consequences,” speculated reader vospet.

“It’s no secret that teachers often lower grades, like they don’t like the kid. Or how else explain that in school they get 3s and 4s, but in institute 5s? It’s outrageous what’s happening. They’ve targeted the children,” wrote user Larisa Novikova Lara N.

A separate thread grew from the question of whether 10th grade is needed for those who did poorly on the OGE. One comment on this topic received over two dozen dislikes.

“Why 10th grade for someone who barely studied for 9 years? Then there’s a tantrum after 11th grade that the little one can’t get into anywhere,” wrote user Dmitry Sotnichenko.

Another subscriber agreed.

“Why waste teachers’ time on those who couldn’t even pass the OGE properly? Why keep these loafers in school?” reasoned subscriber Yenot Postrigun.

Several people objected.

“Sometimes such kids start to study and realize the need for full education. Why deprive them of a chance?” replied user Marina.

“It’s very common that children who finished 9th grade with C’s later study well and pass the Unified State Exam with high scores. And often the opposite: excellent students in 9th grade can’t handle 10th-11th. Everyone who wants should be taken into 10th,” believes subscriber Irina Zyaparova.

One reader cited his own biography.

“I studied so-so in school; I only managed to be a good student in 11th grade. But in university, I studied for a stipend, because the major subjects were interesting to me, and my classmates were, so to speak, well-matched,” recalled subscriber Mikhail Zosimov.

They also argued whether college is an equivalent replacement.

“After college, a student can enter an institute, having gained wisdom and already having a profession,” wrote user Tatjana.

“After the army, actually. The deferment is given only once,” reminded subscriber Oksana.

“In college, you still have to cover the 10th-11th grade curriculum in the first years,” noted reader Alexander Sutotsky.

In the same debate, another participant, who says she works as a teacher and tutor, objected.

“It’s not easier to get into a specialized university after vocational education. It’s a myth. Unless the university is third-rate. I’ve seen this for 4 years in a row, when a college graduate comes to me, sweating, to prepare for the Unified State Exam,” wrote user Svetlana Geos.

One reader formulated a complaint about the approach itself.

“Ranking children, sorting them into stupid and smart, worthy of 10th grade and unworthy, smacks of something very bad,” wrote Irina Zyaparova.

Earlier, NGS24.RU reported that Krasnoyarsk schoolchildren who failed their exams would be offered training for working-class jobs.