Children in a kindergarten in Novosibirsk were pulled by their hair, calling it “the author’s technique”

A criminal case has been initiated

The brunette forcefully pulls the child’s hair. The blonde slaps one kid in the face, drags another by the arm and knees him in the back. Parents saw such footage when they requested recordings from video cameras inside the nursery group. The mothers recognized the captured women as educators. Their suspicions were confirmed: in the private kindergarten “Little Prince” in the city of Novosibirsk, children are beaten and humiliated.

One of the parents suspected something was wrong. At the height of the kindergarten’s work, she came to pick up the child and, while sitting in the locker room, heard the sounds of blows and loud crying of children. Mom wrote about the cruel treatment of teachers in the parent chat. Here they decided to request camera footage, after which the parents had no doubt about what was happening.

The director of the kindergarten is a teacher from Novosibirsk. She claimed to be the author of a unique early development methodology and has many diplomas and certificates. In addition to educational activities, parents were promised their own kitchen and an individual approach. For everything, a rather large fee was taken – 30 thousand rubles per month.

– Elena Alexandrovna knows how to ingratiate herself. She is so kind, patient, and supposedly loves children and her work so much. We couldn’t even think that her original method was to yell and beat children,” the mother of a child from the middle group told MK.

According to parents, kindergarten teachers changed like gloves. This traumatized the children and cast a shadow on the director’s reputation: the employees wouldn’t run away in vain. There were also complaints about the food. For the monthly fee charged to the parents, the children were clearly underfed.

– I know that many of the guys in the group did not eat garden food. They said it was tasteless. There are eternal empty porridges and cheap tea. It is not clear where our money went.

The Investigative Committee for the Novosibirsk Region became interested in recordings from CCTV cameras. The investigation began. On October 12, the director of the Little Prince kindergarten and two teachers were charged under Article 156 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation – improper performance of duties in raising a minor by a teacher, as well as under Article 117 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation – torture committed against two or more persons.

“According to the investigation, in July 2023, the accused, fulfilling their duties in raising and caring for young pupils of a private children’s institution, repeatedly caused them physical and moral suffering through systematic beatings and other violent actions,” the investigative committee said in a statement.

By decision of the Investigative Committee, the kindergarten was closed.

After such a negative experience, parents do not risk sending their children to other institutions.

– We go to classes to prepare for school. “I no longer trust kindergartens, especially private ones,” the mother of a former pupil of “The Little Prince” confesses.

Which preschool institution should I choose for my child: public or private? Or can you do it without outside help?

– I know from experience that a state kindergarten often turns out to be better than a private one. As a rule, government institutions have stricter supervision. State gardens operate according to decades-old schemes.

Yes, there are many children in the groups, and as a result, the children get sick more often, but as for assault or improper performance of services, they are practically excluded, says social teacher Alexandra Konovalova. – Control over private gardens is not so scrupulous. And don’t forget the human factor: it’s easier for entrepreneurial directors to bribe supervisory authorities. In state gardens, a bribe is an exceptional case.”