What rights and obligations does a child acquire when entering school?

Modern society provides for mandatory rights and obligations of citizens in every public sphere. Therefore, when crossing the threshold of an educational institution, each child should have an idea of ​​what actions in the School are legal and which are absolutely unacceptable! Together with PRAVOCARD Lawyers, we will consider in detail not only the rights of students, but also discuss the obligations assigned to children during the training period!

The legislator regulates the basic norms and rules related to education in Russia:

• Parents and students have the right to choose a school and the opportunity to freely transfer a child from one educational institution to another;
• Parents independently decide on the form of education. The law provides for the possibility of studying at an educational institution or at home, for example, family education or self-education according to an individual program;
• The student has the right to free use of the school library;
• The student has the right to ask the teacher for free help in obtaining knowledge on any topic included in the educational program;
• Conducting lessons should take place in comfortable conditions that ensure the safety of students and teachers in the learning process;
• The student has the right to voluntarily attend additional classes to develop his abilities in various circles and sections.

However, in more detail the rights of the student are established by the Charter of the educational institution in which the training is conducted. In practice, the School assigns a number of rights to each child:

• Free qualified medical care;
• Freedom of choice of religion, the right to express one’s personal beliefs;
• Material and physical assistance exclusively on a voluntary basis;
• Freedom to attend activities organized by the school that are not included in the lesson plan;
• Absolutely every student has the right to organize associations that do not contradict the school Charter;
• The student has the right to have free time between lessons and during the vacation period.

PRAVOCARD lawyers recommend paying special attention to the established right of each parent or legal representative of a student to visit an educational institution at any time. The opportunity is provided by law so that everyone can evaluate the conditions of the educational process! Parents’ committees are often set up for this purpose.

Together with the rights and opportunities, the legislator also regulates the duties of the student. In turn, before enrolling a child in an educational institution, parents need to explain to the child the rules of conduct and established norms!

Children studying in general education institutions are required to:

• respect not only their teachers, but also other employees of the educational institution, as well as respect the results of other people’s work;
• conscientious attitude to study;
• observe the school regime — attend classes in a timely manner (with the exception of absence from classes for good reasons), leave classes at the strictly allotted time;
• after missing a school day or a certain lesson, come to school with an explanatory document, for example, with a certificate from a doctor about an illness (with the seals of a medical institution), or a note from parents or relatives;
• come to school clean and tidy;
• follow the safety rules in the classroom. This is especially true for the lessons of chemistry, physics, biology, physical education and technology!
• submit the diary to the teacher upon request;
• listen carefully and complete the tasks given by the teacher in order to obtain high-quality knowledge.

It is important to note that the state guarantees its citizens the right to free education! Therefore, the requirements of the School to collect money from parents are absolutely unacceptable! Funds for the repair of the classroom, the purchase of teaching aids and other needs necessary for the conduct of the educational process can only be collected on a voluntary basis! Of course, this rule applies only to educational institutions operating on a non-profit basis.

The most important aspect of training is the protection of the life and health of students. The responsibility for the health of schoolchildren during the educational process lies entirely with the educational institution, therefore, in the case when the child has a release signed by the doctor, the teacher does not have the right to force the student to do physical education! In no case should the teacher give negative marks to schoolchildren released from classes. In the event that the teacher gave such an assessment to your child, at the request of the parents, the grades will be canceled, and the teacher will be subject to disciplinary action!

It is also quite common practice for Russian schools to involve students in cleaning school premises. But, it is important to remember that according to the norms of the law, labor is free, and it is forbidden to involve a citizen in the performance of labor duties forcibly! The school cannot force students to take actions aimed at cleaning the school, this is only possible on a voluntary basis!

When the rights of a student are violated, parents need to support their child! The current legislation provides for a certain procedure for parents:

• it is necessary to prepare a complaint in writing and submit a document to the principal of the school;
• if this complaint is ignored, then parents need to contact the city’s department of education or the prosecutor’s office;
• if the problem is not solved, then it is envisaged to go to court.

According to the Constitution of the Russian Federation, any child has the right to develop their physical and intellectual skills, and any encroachment on the restriction or termination of these rights by school teachers or other students is the basis for administrative liability!

Lawyers of PRAVOCARD are always happy to help you resolve disputes that have arisen and understand the intricacies of the current legislation!