Acting together in the name of the children: the II All-Russian Congress of Parent Committees held at the National Centre RUSSIA
The parent community is becoming increasingly involved in children's upbringing and is emerging as a full-fledged partner of schools and the state. Ways to make this interaction more effective were discussed on the first day of the II All-Russian Congress of Parent Committees. The event commenced on 7 September at the National Centre RUSSIA, bringing together 600 representatives of the parent community from 89 regions of Russia, as well as Abkhazia and South Ossetia. The event was organised by the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation, the Russian society Znanie, and the Russian Children and Youth Centre (Rosdetcentre).
According to the participants, an effective system of upbringing comes from joint efforts of the family, the school, and society. Parents gain the opportunity to participate in the discussion of new educational programmes, implement their own initiatives, and build interaction with educational organisations, while parent committees are becoming platforms for dialogue and experience exchange.
The importance of such unity was highlighted at the opening of the congress by Irina Pleshcheva, Head of the Department for Projects and Programmes in the field of Upbringing of Children and Youth at the Presidential Executive Office for Social Projects. She thanked representatives of parent committees who are joining the common effort and becoming true partners for schools, teachers, and the state.
The congress continued with a panel discussion titled "Education in the New Academic Year: Uniting Opportunities." Participants discussed how to build interaction so that the parent community, besides receiving support, could also independently become an initiator of projects and changes.
"Over the two years of working with the parent community, more than 2,000 initiatives from schools, kindergartens, and colleges have received support totalling nearly 2 billion roubles. One of the key priorities for the new academic year will be the development of meaningful parent meetings: according to a nationwide survey, 91 percent of parents support discussing issues of upbringing, safety, school interaction, and children's personal development at such meetings. Congress participants will propose topics and formats, and the Russian society Znanie plans to prepare methodological materials for such meetings and involve expert speakers," emphasised Maxim Dreval, Director General of the Russian society Znanie.
Participants paid special attention to raising parents' awareness of existing tools and opportunities. The discussion covered how to make available support measures understandable for families in the regions and help parent committees make more effective use of existing resources.
"Advisers to directors on education interact with children's public associations and serve as conduits of educational policy and significant adults in schools. But what is crucial here is the personal involvement of parents. If a parent is engaged, they discuss with their child what they have seen, what they have experienced, what has caught their interest — this is what fosters a sense of belonging in the child and sets a wonderful example," noted Igor Yurgin, Director of the Department for State Policy in the Sphere of Education, Supplementary Education and Children's Recreation at the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation, Hero of the Russian Federation.
Besides, the congress was attended by Artur Orlov, Chairman of the Board of the All-Russian Public-State Movement of Children and Youth "Movement of the First"; Alexander Kudryashov, Director of Rosdetcentre; Konstantin Fedorenko, Chairman of the All-Russian Parent Committee and Director of the International Children’s Centre Artek; as well as leading national experts in the fields of education and family psychology.
The opening of the event served as a platform for discussing the key tasks of parent committees and their role in children's upbringing. The first day also featured a ceremony honouring active representatives of the parent community — those contributing to the development of the educational and upbringing environment. The event will continue tomorrow, with thematic meetings, masterclasses, educational lounges, project sessions, and workshops showcasing best practices awaiting the participants.
The first All-Russian Congress of Parent Committees was held in Moscow in November 2025 and brought together 600 representatives from all 89 regions of Russia. At that time, participants discussed best practices in family-school interaction, issues of upbringing, the development of the parent community, and the enhancement of parents' role in the educational process. It was on the basis of the first congress that the key directions for further development of the parent committee system were identified and will continue to be pursued this year.
Event photobank
Participants and visitors to INNOPROM. India will discover the diversity of Russia's regions and the distinctive features of local folk crafts.
International students visited the "Journey Across Russia" exposition and discovered the country in all its diversity.
Participants in the Lecture Hall can look forward to a packed programme featuring three thematic blocks, leading experts from different countries and an interactive illusionist show.
