Russia’s schools are introducing a grade for behavior — obedience and ideological conformity included Starting in September 2026, Russian schoolchildren will receive mandatory grades for behavior alongside academic performance, a system intended by officials to reinforce discipline and traditional values. However, education experts warn this revival of a Soviet-era practice could be used for ideological control and to punish dissent, potentially linking it to social scoring systems. The new grading system will assess criteria such as discipline, social interaction, personal qualities, and classroom engagement, with potential consequences for students who do not comply.

• Russia will implement mandatory behavior grades for all schoolchildren starting September 1, 2026.
• The grades will assess discipline, social interaction, personal qualities, and classroom engagement.
• Officials claim the system aims to reinforce discipline, school rules, and traditional values.
• Critics compare the system to Soviet-era practices used for ideological control and dissent suppression.
• There are concerns the behavior grades could be integrated into a social scoring system.
• The original Soviet behavior grade system, introduced in 1944, had serious consequences, including barring students from exams.
• The proposal resurfaced after Russian President Vladimir Putin urged discussion of the idea.