Many ninth-grade students in Chelyabinsk are facing increased competition to enter the tenth grade, causing anxiety among parents. A limited number of spots are available in schools, with some institutions having stricter selection processes than universities.

According to forecasts from the city committee for education, only 5,889 out of nearly 14,500 current ninth-grade graduates will be accepted into tenth grade in the upcoming academic year. This means that a significant portion of students may not have the opportunity to complete their secondary education.

Parents have expressed concern over the selection process, which includes academic performance, grades in specialized subjects, OGE (Main State Exam) results, and participation in competitions and Olympiads. Some schools are accused of prioritizing high-achieving students to boost their ratings, potentially leaving out those with average grades or those who struggle in certain subjects.

One mother shared her frustration, stating that her son, an average student with B’s in specialized subjects, faces a high probability of being denied admission to the tenth grade. She emphasized the importance of her child receiving a state-recognized document for completing 11 grades.

Another parent recounted how, during a fifth-grade parent meeting, the director of a prestigious lyceum warned parents not to expect their children to be admitted to the tenth grade unless they were exceptional students. This parent questioned why children who are interested in learning but may not excel academically are being excluded after the ninth grade.

A school director explained that the introduction of compulsory specialized education in the tenth and eleventh grades has led to a competitive selection process to ensure fairness. Schools are now required to consider various criteria, including academic performance and participation in competitions.

According to the “Law on Education of the Chelyabinsk Region”, schools recruit students for technological, humanitarian, natural science, and socio-economic profiles. However, the selection process has created a system similar to university admissions, with students applying to multiple schools to increase their chances of acceptance.

Despite the competitive nature of the selection process, Igor Mayorov, head of the department for ensuring the activities of the Commissioner for Children’s Rights in the Chelyabinsk Region, emphasized that the right to education is enshrined in the Constitution. He stated that students who have passed their exams and received a certificate cannot be completely denied admission to the tenth grade.

The Chelyabinsk Committee for Education clarified that students can only be refused admission if there are no vacant places in the school. The committee encourages parents of students who did not pass the selection to contact them for assistance in finding other options.