Almost 100,000 Russian children are homeschooled, according to data from the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation. According to statistics cited by RBK, in 2025, 14,300 students were transferred to this form of education, representing an increase of 16.8% compared to the previous year.
In total, about 18 million children attend schools in Russia, and the proportion of those educated in a home format is, according to official data, just over 0.5%. However, the statistics do not reflect all students who study at home because the Russian Ministry of Education only takes into account those assigned to schools for exams.
The number of children who have switched to home education has surged during the pandemic, and subsequently continued to rise against the backdrop of the war in Ukraine and the intensification of ideological indoctrination in schools. From September 2023, propaganda lessons titled “Conversations about important things” have been taking place in educational institutions. These include presentations about war and meetings of students with participants in aggression, including former detainees and members of private military companies. Authorities claim that these lessons are intended to promote “love for the homeland, national pride, and patriotism”.
Moreover, students are required to record video messages and collect aid for war participants, and many parents complain that children’s refusal to participate in these activities can be punished with expulsion.
According to officials from the Russian Ministry of Education, in 2023 and 2024, the number of children in home education increased annually by over 15,000. And a study by the Pedagogical University of Moscow shows that, between 2016 and 2023, this number has increased almost tenfold, from 17,900 children to 174,700.
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