Narva city dismisses school principal who is Centre Party council member

The city of Narva has fired Nadežda Tšerkašina, director of the Languages Lyceum, citing repeated serious violations in the school's organisation of work. The opposition believes the real reason behind the dismissal is her membership in the Centre Party and her seat on the city council.

The city of Narva announced on Friday that it has dismissed Nadežda Tšerkašina from her post as director of the Languages Lyceum, pointing to what officials described as repeated serious violations in the school's management and organisation of work.

However, opposition representatives are unconvinced by the official explanation. They argue that the true motive behind the decision is political — Tšerkašina is a member of the Centre Party and holds a seat on the Narva city council, putting her in a position of opposition to the current city leadership.

The case has drawn attention to the broader political tensions in Narva, where the relationship between the city administration and opposition councillors has been fraught. Critics of the dismissal say it sets a troubling precedent, raising concerns about the independence of school leaders who also hold elected political office.

The city has so far maintained that the decision was made solely on professional grounds and was not influenced by Tšerkašina's political affiliations. No further details have been provided about the specific nature of the alleged violations in the school's work organisation.