Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya: “In Novaya Baravaya, a Minsk district, people again stood in line, but this time to enroll their children in the local school's first grade. There are only 150 places available, but there are many more applicants. And although by law, all those with registered residence address near the school should be admitted, in reality, there simply aren't enough places.
I won't talk about the fact that the money that could have been used to build more schools and hospitals was spent on support for Putin's war, repression, and security forces. You already know that. I won't talk about the fact that officials don't want to solve problems and don't care about people – you've heard that many times. I want to talk about what needs to be done in this situation.
The most important thing is that officials should not be afraid to speak openly with the people. In fact, for teachers, school administrations, and officials, parents are allies once you let them know the issue. Especially in a district like Novaya Baravaya, where there is so much initiative and self-organization.
Solutions to such problems need to be discussed together to come up with one that everyone agrees on. Whether it's transfer to nearby schools, increased class sizes, or two shifts – any joint decision will be better than an attempt to evade the answer. And in the future, in addition to solving this particular problem, locals may promote the construction of another school in Novaya Baravaya.
Our country doesn't need so much police and security forces, and you know that perfectly well. Our country needs more schools where we want to send our children. And we can only make an impact in this by acting together”.
