The Down's syndrome girl, 7, Russian parents campaigned to have removed from school yearbook

With a beaming smile and white feather clips in her hair, this is the loveable Down's syndrome girl whose photo Russian parents campaigned to have removed from their kids' school yearbook.

Marsha Koltysheva, seven, was included in a class photograph and they didn't want her seen next to their children.

Some parents at Moscow School Number 1392 returned the yearbook which included the picture of Masha, who is the daughter of class teacher, Marina 

Koltysheva.

Class photo: Seven-year-old Down's syndrome girl Masha Koltysheva (pictured with her mother Marina, the class teacher) prompted outrage from parents when a photo of her appeared in school yearbook in Russia

Controversy: Masha's mother Marina Koltysheva is the class teacher at Moscow School Number 1392. Masha was unwell on the day the photos were taken and she brought Masha into school

'Disruptive': But some parents complained that Masha (pictured with her mother Marina) is disruptive in class and were angry a picture of her appeared in the school yearbook alongside their children

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Mrs Koltysheva brought her to school to sit in her class of 11 and 12-year-olds because her nanny was ill, and she had no-one to look after the child.

But some of the class complained to their parents, who demanded the teacher should be fired, claiming that Masha was disruptive. 

One female pupil is known to have told her parents: 'It's not normal that she is in our classroom.'

Many others in the class were happy playing with a girl they say as 'affectionate' and 'quiet' and 'not at all disruptive'.

However, a mother Anastasiya Artemova, whose daughter Polina is in Mrs Koltysheva's class, complained: 'Masha started behaving like a hooligan in the classroom.

'She began to hurt some of the girls. Polina came back home and complained that Masha was pulling her hair and pushing her hard in the canteen.

'I went to see the director and asked him to sort out this matter and to explain why our children are studying with a child aged 7, why she is in the classroom when she is the daughter of our teacher.'

Some parents demanded the teacher should be fired, it was reported. 

 

Anger: Some of the parents have called for Mrs Koltysheva (right) to be sacked after she brought Masha (left), seven, to her class of 11 to 12-year-olds

Fight: Masha's mother hit back at the criticism by saying her daughter loved being around people, enjoyed going to school and has never 'hit or kicked anybody'

Vladimir Chanturiya, father of another classmate, said: 'She came to our school with her child. This is a child with special needs, but in my opinion she was doing fine in this group of children.

'Children are cruel by their nature, they are not ready to cooperate with children who have special needs and special characters. 

'But this is not the problem of the children, it is the problem of the parents. They have to bring them up with tolerant attitude.' 

Olga Sinyaeva, whose daughter Asya Aslan is also in the same class, agreed: 'Some children are against Masha's presence in the classroom.

'Of course, they say something. But it is not their language, they repeat the intonations of their parents.

'Masha once just hugged me and started kissing me.

'Of course, I didn't push her away but hugged her too, and this is how we spent some minutes.

'But other mothers were standing around us, and it was as silent as in a coffin. 

Cruel: A mother whose daughter was in Mrs Koltysheva's class said Masha (pictured) behaved like a 'hooligan in the classroom', pulled her daughter's hair and pushed her in the canteen

Hurt: Masha's mother (pictured) said she may have to resign from her teaching job at the school to devote her time to solely looking after her daughter

'When Masha finished hugging me, I looked up at them and saw that they just did not understand what was going on.'

On the day Masha came into the school a photographer was there to take photographs for the yearbook and Mrs Koltysheva thought it would be a good opportunity to get a professional picture of her daughter.

She asked the photographer to take a picture of Masha but he mistakenly included it in the class yearbook page. 

Hitting back the criticism, Masha's mother told of how the young girl loved being around people, enjoyed going to school and has never 'hit or kicked anybody'.

She said: 'People keep saying, "unusual, special child", but for me she is very much a normal child.

'She likes it when she is not alone but interacting with people. When there is no such opportunity, she takes her big Lilly doll and plays with her.'  

Loving: Her mother said of Masha (pictured): 'She likes it when she is not alone but interacting with people' 

Schoolmates: Olga Sinyaeva (right), whose daughter Asya Aslan (left) is also in the same class, agreed: 'Some children are against Masha's presence in the classroom'

The teacher, with 25 years' experience, went on: 'I think I will have to resign and to focus fully on my child.

'There are ways to survive, and I must survive.'

She denied doing anything improper in having Masha in her class.

'The school director visited our lessons and was present during a lesson, and Masha was there.

'The situation was known and clear. My child did not disturb anybody, she sat at the back desk with a boy.

'I think the girls just got interested in Masha. Maybe she pushed them once in the break and they laughed, and Masha got excited. She feels good when others are happy.' 

School director Denis Bakharev, claimed the scandal is exaggerated, claiming his school is part of a system of inclusive education where the children with special needs can study.

Campaigner: The parents' angry reaction led to supermodel Natalia Vodianova (pictured), who has an autistic sister, to launch an #OurMasha campaign in support

'There was no negative attitude to Marina's child,' he said, despite parents admitting anonymously that they had asked for the teacher to be fired.

'There is no such attitude now, either from the children, nor the parents, and certainly not from the school administration.

'She is a good teacher, with perfect qualifications and long experience in schools.' 

Masha's case led supermodel Natalia Vodianova - who has an autistic sister - to launch a #OurMasha campaign in support.

The model, 33, said: 'Here is a person in a difficult situation who is denied support and the most basic thing - human understanding.'

She runs the Naked Heart Foundation, which supports children with disabilities, and is known for speaking out against injustice.