"We need a child's number and a confirmation code": Saratov first-graders are being forced to vote on public improvement projects.
Requests for children to bring their phones are appearing in school parent chats (including for first-graders). Teachers explain that this is necessary for voting as part of the federal project "Creating a Comfortable Urban Environment."
As can be seen from the screenshots, published According to the Telegram channel "Speaks Saratov," "volunteers" will vote for the children. The fact that some first-graders' smartphones don't have internet access isn't taken into account: according to teachers, the volunteers only need a phone number and a confirmation SMS code.
A Saratov resident confirmed the information about forced voting in schools to NeMoskva: she is part of a group trying to save the Territory of Childhood park from development (officials also included it on the voting list).
— They did roughly the same thing last year, including in kindergartens, — a source for NeMoskva clarified. The teachers asked people to vote for specific objects and send a screenshot of their participation. If someone couldn't vote, the kindergarten staff voted from their account.
Officials want to use more than half of the park for the construction of a school, which 50 years ago was supposed to replace a private sector. According to the activist, the authorities' choice of the green space was no accident: a huge residential complex will soon be built nearby, and its developer needs social facilities to meet regulations.
The interviewee clarified that the project put up for voting still lacks information on how exactly the authorities intend to improve the park that will remain after the school is built.
She also said that over the past 20 years, residents have managed to protect their park from the construction of a church and apartment buildings. They are asking for a school to be built where it was originally planned—on the site of a private residence. They made this statement yesterday at another rally.
