Volgograd Second-Grader Barred from New Year Party Over 250 Rubles: Who's to Blame?

The mother of a second-grade girl named Zhenya (name changed) from a gymnasium in the Krasnoarmeysky district of Volgograd was outraged by the homeroom teacher«s actions: while her classmates were having fun at the pre-New Year»s party, the girl was not allowed to attend the school celebration and was left alone on a bench in the hallway. Although the woman honestly admitted she forgot to pay the 250 rubles (about $3 at current rates) for the event, she found it unacceptable to single out her child from the crowd.

The event itself took place on December 26. Money for it was collected in advance, but the woman was unable to pay on time. She found out that her daughter was barred from the common festivities after the fact, from the child herself and the parent chat.

«When everyone went to the party in the middle of a lesson, the teacher didn»t let her go. She said, «Have money — go to the cafeteria, no money — go to the library,»« the schoolgirl»s mother stated. «Zhenya went out into the corridor, sat on a couch on the first floor, and waited alone for everything to finish.»

What outraged the woman, she claims, was not so much the misunderstanding itself, but their homeroom teacher«s attitude towards it, who allegedly barred the child from the party.

«Initially, she just wrote in the chat that everyone was there except my daughter. When I started asking why, she ignored me and continued sending photos from the event and of the gifts. I wrote to her privately, asked why she didn»t tell me Zhenya forgot to pay the money? But she ignored that too, only writing later, like, «parents, be more organized and attentive.»«

After public outcry, the woman received an apology, but she wants to have the teacher«s competence investigated by the education committee. The V1.RU correspondent was unable to reach the teacher herself to hear her side: no one answered repeated calls to the phone number known to the editorial office. It was also impossible to reach the school»s administration — likely due to the January holidays. The V1.RU editorial board has asked the regional education committee to resolve the conflict.

Incidentally, recall that the issue of «voluntary-compulsory» fees for «class needs» and the consequences for non-payment has come to a head before, though it most often boils down to simply funding the school rather than organizing events. However, even then, parents admitted they are openly afraid of bullying from teachers or the class towards their child if they decide to «go against the collective» and not pay.