The State Duma in the second reading adopted a bill banning educational activities without the approval of the authorities

Deputies of the State Duma in the second reading adopted the draft law "On Education in the Russian Federation", which will allow the government to determine "the procedure and conditions for conducting educational activities." This was reported on the website of the lower house of parliament.

In the event of the final adoption of the law, the document will consolidate the very concept of "educational activity" and give the government the authority to fully control this area. Now everything related to activities “outside the framework of educational programs”, but aimed at “the dissemination of knowledge, skills, values, experience and competence”, will fall under the control of the authorities. The order of control is not yet clear.

The bill will also ban educational activities aimed at inciting hatred, including the use of "inaccurate information about the historical, national, religious and cultural traditions of peoples." One of the authors of the bill, Senator Andrei Klimov, cited as an example terrorist organizations, in particular the Islamic State *, which, according to Klimov, "also believe that they are engaged in education."

The initiative was submitted to the State Duma in November 2020. According to the bill, its goal is to "counter the spread of illegal information and anti-Russian propaganda" among schoolchildren and students.

The Civic Chamber strongly opposed the changes, stating that the definition of “educational activity” is extremely vague in the draft and any sites fall under it. For example, YouTube channels and lectures in schools. the same opinion . shares The co-founder of the Dissernet community, Doctor of Biology Mikhail Gelfand,

According to him, some parts of the bill repeat the existing legislation "on extremism" and do not carry anything new. He is concerned about the introduction of mandatory approval of any contacts with foreigners, especially against the backdrop of the adopted laws on “foreign agents”.

the bill The Presidium of the Russian Academy of Sciences also opposed . Representatives had questions about restrictions on the signing of international treaties. According to the bill, for holding international conferences and other events with international participation, it will be necessary to obtain the approval of the Ministry of Education and Science. The academicians were especially outraged by the fact that even after the bill was criticized, fundamental amendments were not made.

“No one even thought to contact us and discuss the text of the bill,”

Alexei Khokhlov, Vice President of the Russian Academy of Sciences, told Kommersant. A petition by astrophysicist Sergei Popov, published on Change.org, has collected more than 230,000 signatures against the bill. “Up to the signing of this law by the president, it makes sense to continue criticism,” Popov said.

In March, journalist Andrei Rodin, who sent a letter to Vladimir Putin against the bill, said that his historical programs Motherland of Elephants and Proshloe on Radio Moscow Talks were closed at the request of editor-in-chief Roman Babayan. “Roman Babayan does not hide the fact that this happened because of my letter to the president criticizing the so-called law on education,” Rodin said.

* (terrorist organization recognized as banned in Russia)