Parents of Russian schoolchildren told journalists that communicating with teachers through the Sferum educational platform is inconvenient. The Ministry of Digital Development's product is also drawing complaints from teachers, who claim they are being forced to use the domestic platform. We explain what happened in more detail.
According to journalists, since the end of November, parents of schoolchildren in various regions of Russia have been receiving insistent requests to register on the Sferum platform and join the class chat.
<b>What is Sferum?</b>
Launched in 2021, the Sferum platform is part of the educational environment being created by the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Digital Development under the national project "Education." In the application, which is integrated with the VKontakte social network, teachers can communicate with students and parents in closed chats, post educational materials, and conduct video conferences.
Currently, more than 2.1 million teachers (more than 90% of teachers in Russia) are registered in Sferum, and the total number of users exceeds 28 million, of whom more than 10 million use the platform weekly. (This is data from the Ministry of Education)
What Problems Arise?
Parents complain about the complex registration process in Sferum: it is necessary to download the VK Messenger application, log in via VKontakte or Gosuslugi, and then create a training profile that must be verified by the educational institution.
In an appeal from the Uchitel trade union addressed to Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin and the head of the Ministry of Education Sergei Kravtsov, signed by 2187 teachers and parents, it is stated that the process of registration and "simulating activity" takes up teachers' time, which they could devote to checking students' work and real communication with them.
According to teachers, they are forced to use Sferum specifically for interaction on work issues. Teachers tell journalists this on condition of anonymity.
It should be noted that the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation claims that the department does not have special requirements or target performance indicators related to registration in Sferum.
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