“Russians don’t want to become teachers” – Kommersant FM

A bill has been introduced to the State Duma that would allow former convicts to work as teachers. The document also applies to those who served sentences under serious charges. However, this right will be given only to those who have not violated the law for at least 10 years after release and have been engaged in public activities. Kommersant FM political commentator Dmitry Drize is not sure that such a rule will be effective.

People’s representatives – representatives of United Russia Pyotr Tolstoy, Irina Rodnina, Vyacheslav Fetisov, Vladislav Tretyak and Valentina Pivnenko – developed and submitted to the State Duma a bill that, apparently, is designed to solve the problem of staff shortages among the teaching staff of Russian schools.

We are talking about allowing those who have served time for particularly serious crimes to work as teachers. These include, in particular, inclination to suicide, robbery, drug sales and other acts. Naturally, there are restrictions there; it’s not like if you free yourself and go straight to the children’s class. No, 10 years must pass.

This does not apply to people who have been convicted of murder, crimes against sexual integrity and sexual freedom of the individual, against family and minors. You need to behave well and then submit an application to the juvenile affairs commission. And only with a positive verdict can you go to work.

Yes, it’s true what they say: prison is the best university or encyclopedia of life, as you like. There were many jokes on this topic in the USSR. But we will not indulge in memories. Primarily for ethical reasons.

However, with so much bureaucracy, there are serious doubts that this law will work effectively.

In addition, a person is a complex being, outwardly he seems to have realized and reforged, but in reality the opposite often happens. Go and recognize him. In addition, judging by the fact that the authors of the document are mainly athletes, former prisoners will probably teach not literature, history or literary standards, but, say, physical education, labor training or similar subjects.

In general, now, of course, is not the time to be surprised by anything, but has the personnel shortage really reached such a critical level that we have to turn to fellow citizens who have served time for help? It seems that this is exactly the case. There is an organization called “Popular Front. Analytics”. According to her calculations, 40% of Russian schools in Russia are facing a shortage of teachers. The most problematic positions are mathematics and physics.

This is not surprising – formulas, equations, square roots. It’s not enough to be politically savvy here—you also have to understand what not everyone can do. It’s not easy. Or maybe even worse – the prestige of the profession has been lost. Dear Russians do not want to become teachers. Indeed, the pressures are increasing; moreover, one careless word can even lead to imprisonment. Salaries, of course, are growing, but nerve cells, as we know, are not restored.

And here’s something else I’d like to say: the criminal topic is becoming more and more part of our lives. It literally already prevails in Russian society, media and information space. It seems that current or former prisoners are almost the main personnel and even military reserve. They are called to work at construction sites, in the army, and now as teachers. It’s scary to think what will happen next.

Meanwhile, while the trial is in progress, Peter Tolstoy asked to withdraw his signature from the bill. The vice-speaker did not want to be its co-author.

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