Parents of Bishkek schoolchildren rally outside Parliament in protest against informal payments

AKIPRESS.COM - About 50 parents of schoolchildren of some Bishkek schools rallied outside the Parliament building today in protest against collection of informal payments for public foundations under schools and class funds.
In average parents of schoolchidren pay 500 som a month for a student to co-finance recurrent school expenditures, such as pay supplements for teachers, security, cleaning, repair, etc. The government finances salaries of teachers and public utilities only.
Deputy Education Ministers Nadira Jusupbekova and Nurkan Omurov met the protesters.
Despite there is the law on free education, school principals set up parental committees with their people administering them and collect money from parents every month, Turuskhan Junusbekov, head of the parental association, said.
Junusbekov noted that school principals should be changed every 5 years. "This is stipulated in the law. Schools demand from $500 to $1,000 as informal school entrance fees, despite the law says education is free. We appealed to the Deputy Education Ministers, MPs. If this does not stop, scandal won't stop either. We are against corruption through such funds. The Minister has signed the order barring teachers and principals from collecting money, but this does not change the situation. More than 1 million soms are collected a month. It is unknown where this money go. The funds at schools should be prohibited. Those willing to donate money can do so as sponsors. Parents should not be forced to give money," he claimed.
MP Elmira Surabaldiyeva met the protesters as well, who complained that their children were not given textbooks until they gave money to the public foundations at schools.