MOSCOW, August 12 (RAPSI) — The Russian Supreme Court has upheld its decision of April 28, 2021, to dismiss a claim of State Duma Communist MP Valery Rashkin challenging the experiment to introduce digital educational environment in certain regions of the country, RAPSI learns in court.

The claimant petitioned to invalidate the provisions of the document saying that the experiment is to be in carried out in the period from December 10, 2020 through December 31, 2022.

Rashkin indicated that the contested provision violates his rights and legitimate interests as a person whose grandchildren are deprived of the right to get affordable and free education. The applicant also complained about the lack of any research on the impact on the physical and mental health of children in e-learning conditions.

Obviously, distance learning involves additional costs for expensive computer equipment, which fall entirely on the shoulders of parents, whereas not all families can afford to purchase a separate personal computer for a child with Internet access and a web camera, Rashkin explained in the first instance court.

In turn, the Ministry of Education said that the contested act was adopted in accordance with the law on education, which allows experimental and innovative activities in the educational sphere in order to modernize and develop the education system.

Earlier, the State Duma has explained that goal of the project was to make the Russian education system competitive and education in Russia accessible to everyone.