Analysts treat fight against extortions in Chechen schools as a show

The dismissal of teachers in Argun evidences the desire of Chechen authorities to demonstrate the fight against extortions, and not to eradicate them, the analysts interviewed by the "Caucasian Knot" believe.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on September 13, Vakhit Usmaev, Deputy Prime Minister of Chechnya, wrote in his Instagram page that the principal and two teachers of a school in the city of Argun had been fired for extortions from pupils' parents.

In conditions of complete corruption, it is difficult to separate the switchman from the process initiator, Magomed Khamidov, a Chechen political analyst, has noted.

"Corruption comes from the very top. It is difficult to be an independent 'screw' in such a system. Although most likely the teachers are really switchmen," Mr Khamidov told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

According to his version, the need for a dismissal action was dictated by the fact that, apparently, the level of extortions has reached such an extent that it causes general discontent. "The main point for the authorities here is to take a pose. Here, you see, we've punished those who are engaged in extortions. And we ourselves are so clean, and nothing sticks to us. The teachers' dismissal is just a showy gesture," Magomed Khamidov is sure.

"Teachers are a part of the education system that is the least protected. These extortions are descended down, at least from the level of the district administration. Further, the principal and head teachers bring this instruction down the class teachers and ordinary teachers. And if there are too many complaints about extortions, it is necessary to punish someone; and teachers become 'scapegoats'," Ruslan Kutaev, the head of the Assembly of Caucasian Nations, told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on September 14, 2021 at 07:10 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.