In Tyumen, parents protest against the “sectarian” school “Pilgrim”, located in the building of a comprehensive school

An action of parental disobedience began in the Tyumen secondary school N 64. 10 schoolchildren from grades 5 to 11 did not go to classes after the holidays. Thus, their parents express their disagreement with the creation on the basis of the educational institution of the non-state school "Pilgrim", which has been operating since the beginning of the school year. Parents promise that if measures are not taken, every day there will be fewer students in the classes.

According to the parents, "Pilgrim" occupies the 3rd grade in the 64th school, from where prayers and religious chants are heard. "Pilgrim" belongs to the Western Church "Light of the World", but the directorate has not yet presented either a license for the right to engage in educational activities or a lease agreement with the department of property relations of the Tyumen administration to the parents of students of a comprehensive school.

According to representatives of the Orthodox community, Light of the World is an "active, totalitarian, destructive sect" that uses "unlawful methods of psychological influence, psycholinguistics and hypnosis." The fear of parents is that the students of "Pilgrim" regularly communicate with their children, having a negative impact on them with their stories.

Director of the Department of Education and Science of the Administration of the Tyumen Region Olga Roytblat said that the situation with "Pilgrim" is under control: the regional prosecutor's office ordered the school to be closed due to the lack of a license, but officials preferred not to discuss the religious aspect. Classes at the "Pilgrim" are canceled until the circumstances are clarified.

On November 21, it became known that acting. The head of Tyumen, Nikolai Romanov, signed an order, according to which the director of school N 64, Alevtina Meshkova, was removed from her duties.

Sources

• Parental protest action started in secondary school №64 // Vsluh.ru. 2003. November 10.
• Dismissal for the director of school No. 64 ended the "story with moving in" // There. November 21.