Family science is not sex education – Kommersant

The State Duma held the final meeting of the spring session of the working group to develop a new school course – family studies. Deputies, officials and teachers prepared proposals for the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation on how to teach the subject, and justifications why it should be made mandatory. In the educational department, however, they reacted coolly to the initiative, reminding the parliamentarians that “many of our teachers are not married themselves.”

The initiative to introduce family science in all schools in Russia at the beginning of 2023 was made by the chairman of the State Duma Committee on Family, Women and Children, Nina Ostanina (KPRF). Opening the final meeting, the head of the working group, deputy Tatyana Larionova (United Russia) reminded the audience: “We are on the brink of an abyss. And if you do not start to engage in family values, the children will not be able to withstand the aggressive foreign onslaught.” Mrs. Larionova is confident that it is the mandatory family studies lessons that will help increase the number of large families and reduce the number of divorces.

The meeting was attended by the developers of already existing regional courses in family science. They actively promoted prepared manuals and insisted on the need for a federal course. “Compulsory subjects that raise issues of family values ​​— social science, literature — do not provide a complete understanding of the issue,” explained Mikhail Smirnov, co-founder of the ANO Community of Practitioners of Educational Family Studies.

Oleg Apolikhin, chief freelance specialist in reproductive health at the Russian Ministry of Health, warned: “The developments that already exist in family science, textbooks should not be sold. This can only be treated as a service.”

However, Mr. Apolikhin admits that, contrary to service, the subject can turn children against traditional values: “A child always does something other than what he is taught. Good thoughts can only be instilled by one’s own example.

Member of the State Duma Committee on Health Protection Veronika Vlasova (United Russia) noted at the meeting that “the family is the epicenter of reproductive health,” and as part of the family science course, schoolchildren should learn about this as soon as possible: “Our more than 40% of girls begin to live sexually at the age of 15, so talking about chastity should start even earlier.” Ms. Vlasova separately noted that her proposal “in no way has anything to do with sexual education,” but “it is necessary to talk about the basics of reproductive health with schoolchildren.”

The first deputy chairman of the committee on family, women and children, Tatyana Butskaya (United Russia), said that such a subject should be taught in an interactive format: “It is necessary to say that humility and the ability to listen, and not love, are paramount without homework – with the help of quizzes and quests.” “Many schoolchildren noted that family studies can affect children from single-parent families,” said another member of the committee, Olga Korobova (United Russia). “Therefore, it is necessary to work out especially carefully how to present the subject to children without one parent and orphans.”

The representative of the Ministry of Education Anna Timofeeva did not share the enthusiasm of the audience. She recalled that the number of hours in school programs is “strictly limited by Rosobrnadzor.” And in order to include family studies in the list of compulsory subjects, something will have to be reduced.

“And what should we sacrifice – hours for chemistry or physics?” she asked.

At the same time, the representative of the Ministry of Education recalled that the functions of family science are already performed by thematic blocks in “Conversations about the Important”. “Within the subject, there were lessons on father’s and mother’s days, as well as family values ​​in general,” she reminded. “Then the school lives on this topic all week!” Recall that “Conversations about the important” are held by all schoolchildren on Mondays.

“Many of our teachers are not married themselves,” Mrs. Timofeeva noted, not without bitterness. – What value of the family and the need for students to marry can they talk about? However, the ministry in her person promised to get acquainted with the proposals of the working group.

Polina Yachmennikova