Parental associations (PAs) demand fiscal relief for the parents, insisting that they should not be required to pay taxes twice – the first time when taxes are withhold from their salaries, and the second time when they are required to compensate the costs of the educational institutions which the government cannot cover, – this was one of the many issues addressed at a meeting of the municipal Division for Education, attended by PAs members. The Division’s intention is to hold a series of seminars together with the parents in order to identify solutions for a number of problems concerning the sponsorship of educational institution, and to establish rules so as to avoid situations where sponsorship could be regarded as bribery or conflict of interest. Although most PAs are registered either with the Education Division or the Ministry of Justice, no regulation has yet been adopted for this kind of nongovernmental organizations. Education Division head Tatiana Nagnibeda-Tverdohleb argues that such a regulation is needed to clearly demarcate the competence of the PAs, as the lack of it leaves “many question marks”. Tatiana Nagnibeda-Tverdohleb says that, while the government cannot afford to cover all the costs of education, the parents have to intervene with financial aid or other kids of contribution, and often their help is regarded as bribery or pursue of some personal interests. At the same time, there are a lot of complaints from some parents who claim they are forced to pay certain fees, under the pressure of their children’s sake. The head of the Education Division says joining PAs is done on a voluntary basis. Of course, there are membership fees to be paid monthly, and sometimes donations are sought when unexpected expenses occur which cannot be covered by these membership fees. Often such donations are confounded with mandatory charges, and the parents argue over who should assume them. Lilian Carp, the head of the mayoral administration, said the law doesn’t allow the municipal authorities to intervene when the PAs members are compelled to pay some fees, but a regulation that would define the members’ rights and obligations could significantly improve the situation. The Education Division is to present by Monday a draft regulation and other legal proposals, which will be then submitted to relevant authorities for consideration.