School in Antipino is under the threat of closing down

by Snezhana Bratchikova, Apr 27th 2011 

Vladimir Yanovskiy's photo

There are four wooden, darkened from time buildings in a small area sorounded by wood trees. Children are studying there from the first to the ninth class in three buildings and there is dining room in the fourth building. This school is separated by three kilometers from village Antipino. There is a dirty broken road near the school. Schoolboys reach the school on foot or by bus in the mornings and in the evenings go back home. Teachers and children are very worried that their school will be closed down.

Thirteen years old Nikita Botalov lives in twelve kilometers from school in Antipino. He reaches the school in an hour and a half on foot everyday day:- I rise at seven o'clock, leave home at seven twenty and come on a lesson by nine o'clock. In winter it is good to go, and in spring and autumn - difficult, roads are dirty. I shall rise a half an hour earlier if I go to the other school in Yusva. I love Permian Komi language, I speak on it and I am worry that my school can be closed.

He is the only from village Yaranevo who studies at school in Antipino. He lives with father, grandfather and grandmother. The boy has never met animals on a road and had not any incidents. If the school will be closed, he will have to go on foot 12 kilometres and then go by bus 17 kilometres to the school in Yusva.

The majority of parents, and teachers, and pupils are against school reorganization. According to the director of studies of the school Elena, native school will defend to the last:- Rospotrebnadzor of Kudymkar city had checked the school. The school needs major repairs. It is necessary to build warm toilets, a brick wall between stokehole and school. To change windows, floors and many other things. But nobody wants it to repair. Our school is a branch of a school in Yusva. From the next academic year pupils of upper classes will go to study in Yusva and younger children will be studying in a brick building of Antipino Recreation center. They will not study Permian Komi language anymore. As a result we are losing our national language.

The teachers say that there will be no less than 60 pupils at school.  Next year half of 13 teachers will lose their jobs and 64 children will lose their native Permian Komi school. As a result Permian Komi language, culture and traditions of our nation can disappear.

Comments

Michael Evsin, the head of district of Yusva:There is no question about closing of Antipino school. Probably it will get another much more better building, and I will not tell which one. The building of a school needs to be repaired, and it cost a lot. Why should we repair this old building? There is a program for small  schools but there is no programs for national schools.

Tatyana Suhoverhova, the director of comprehensive school of Yusva- Who is spreading these whispers about closing the school?It is necessary to spend a number of actions for elimination of instructions of Rospotrebnadzor. Though two architects left into place and have told that there is no sense to touch the buildings. While no order is present. If the head of administration of area decides to close, we will close, if decides to repair, will repair and learn children in it. I want to tell that if Antipino children will be studying here then we will teach them Permian Komi language.

Nadezhda Kamarova, Vera Botalova, mum of pupils:We look positively at school closing, we have visited school in Yusva, everything was shown to us. There are various circles, a lot of equipment, much better conditions there. And to whom it is now necessary Permian Komi language? Outside Permian Komi state to nobody.

Liubov Botalova, mum of the eighth-grader- I treat badly school closing. Here they near by. I shall be worried if they will go to the school in Yusva. Others can offend ours there. And the village will die out, if school will be closed. Native language will be forgotten. Some children in general don't know Russian. Teachers tell that sometimes they have to translate the tasks from Russian in to Permian Komi language for better understanding.

Ombudsmen of human rights Tatyana Margolina has visited the school on 19th April 2011 and said we should look at every child's needs, will it be better for him or not.- Two serious problems exists in Yusva area: 1st -the problem of preservation of native language. 2nd problem is connected with timing. One mother told me she has to awake her child in 6.30 in the morning. If school will be closed, it will be necessary to wake up at 5.30 or earlier. Is it wartime now? Why we offer to our children such conditions?

She tells that Parliament of Permland has accepted decissions about additional financing of small and national schools. After discussions with heads of Yusva district I can make a conclusion that management of Yusva district of Permian Komi state do not know about it. Why? I think, if they were well informed, there wouldn't be a question on liquidation and school reorganization.

Translated by Artur Jarkov

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