In a Volgograd school, a class teacher named Irina Plotnikova reportedly refused admission to a class of students who did not speak Russian, according to a local portal. News from Volgograd notes that this information came from another school staff member.
According to that source, only one pupil in the class spoke Russian—the teacher herself. Her role was described as helping the students learn Russian. Previously a computer science teacher, she had been assigned to lead a specialized class and had completed only one elementary school year before the reassignment.
In 2022, she was appointed to head the 1st F class, which enrolled children from CIS countries. The newspaper reported some parents felt the class’s segregation from other students was a concern, while the school administration cited a tailored education program and an individualized approach. A year later, Plotnikova left the classroom, though the mayor’s office did not initially provide details about the departure.
“The school staff has been formed in sufficient numbers to support the educational process across all classes. When false information is discovered and disseminated, an appeal is made to the prosecutor’s office,” the press service stated.
The prosecutor’s office has already begun an investigation. “If the inspection results justify action, the prosecutor’s office will determine appropriate intervention measures,” the statement noted.
The teacher finds a new place
Larisa Savina, head of the committee on education, science and youth policy for the Volgograd region, confirmed to TASS that Plotnikova had left the classroom and that a new teacher had been assigned to the class. Savina added that the class would continue the learning process with a teacher of the first category, and that the program would proceed according to plan. Parents are kept informed as the transition occurs, she said.
Savina also explained that Plotnikova did not quit the school entirely; she sought to reduce her workload because she was simultaneously leading two classes. According to her, media reports presented the situation in a one-sided and inaccurate way. Plotnikova now teaches in a different class, and a separate school program has been prepared for the current year. Parents of the students reportedly did not file complaints with local authorities over the previous departure.
Savina added that the new class schedule was designed to fit the updated program for the current year. She noted that parents were kept informed about the changes and that no formal complaints were filed due to the staffing change.
Parental views on the perceived isolation
At the start of the last academic year, News from Volgograd asked parents of first-year students for their impressions of the newly created class. The article stated that some students were children of migrants from Azerbaijan and Tajikistan.
“Some were born here in Volgograd, others recently moved with their families. The Russian language level varies widely, but overall it is quite limited … so-called foreigners,” commented Elena Elizarova, the school principal.
According to Elizarova, the classroom used a program called Kids Are Here, which assists students in learning Russian and actively involves parents in the learning process.
Former class teacher Plotnikova described the classroom as particularly challenging: “The lack of Russian language becomes evident whenever we repeat the same phrases, memorize them, and start again. The process is slow, and progress comes with repeated practice.” She noted that the children showed determination to learn, though the workload remained heavy.
She described activities such as getting to know classmates, identifying colors, and drawing lines as tasks that sometimes required extra explanations for students who were still learning the language. She recalled a task about birds that involved drawing an icon next to each bird, and some children did not recognize the images as birds. Each activity often required starting from scratch to ensure understanding.
Parents reacted differently to the decision to place children into a separate group based on language needs. One mother said initial discomfort gave way to a better understanding after administrators explained the rationale behind the arrangement. Other parents favored mixing children to foster integration into Russian society and language practice. A Tajik mother expressed concern, noting that her child would benefit from broader interaction and language exposure with peers who speak Russian regularly.