Novgorod parliamentarians' initiative concerning orphaned students found support in the State Duma

Deputies of the Novgorod Regional Duma have proposed strengthening legal guarantees for orphans studying. The legislative initiative concerns providing persons of this category with education until completion at the expense of budgetary funds – in particular, it is proposed to extend a number of guarantees to those who receive education on a fee-paying basis. The day before, members of the State Duma Committee on Family Protection, Fatherhood, Motherhood and Childhood supported this initiative.

As the authors of the amendments to the Federal Law "On Additional Guarantees for Social Support of Orphans and Children Left Without Parental Care" explain, currently orphans studying full-time in basic vocational educational programs or in vocational training programs for blue-collar jobs or employee positions at the expense of budgetary funds can count on full state support until the end of their education. Thus, they are paid a state social stipend, an annual allowance for the purchase of educational literature and writing materials, they are provided with free clothing, free travel on public transport, as well as free travel once a year to their place of residence and back to their place of study.

"At the same time, there are areas that require training only on a fee-paying basis. And students on a fee-paying basis are left without additional social support from the state, although they do not lose their legal status. The bill proposes to extend additional guarantees of social support to orphans studying under contracts for the provision of fee-paying educational services," the Novgorod Regional Duma explains.

According to the decision of the State Duma Council, the bill is planned to be prepared for consideration in the first reading before September.

Photo from the editorial archive