Schoolchildren were removed from combined arms combat

The Ministry of Education has published the final version of educational standards for the subject “Fundamentals of Security and Defense of the Motherland.” Unlike the version of the document published for public discussion in November last year, it does not contain a requirement for high school students to master “ideas of combined arms combat.” But increased attention is paid to the study of the properties and effects of weapons of mass destruction.

The Ministry of Education approved amendments to the educational standards of basic and secondary education (FSES). They finally set out the requirements for mastering the discipline “Fundamentals of Security and Defense of the Motherland” (BSD), which from September 1, 2024 will replace “Fundamentals of Safe Living” (FS). As part of the basic course, schoolchildren will master the elements of basic military training, the rules of first aid in combat conditions and methods of protection against weapons of mass destruction.

Let us remind you that in November 2023, the department posted a draft of the proposed changes for public discussion. One of the points in mastering the discipline for senior classes presupposed “the formation of ideas about modern combined arms combat; understanding of the possibilities of using modern achievements of scientific and technological progress in modern combat conditions, including methods of combat use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).”

Then the lawyers interviewed by Kommersant recalled Art. 5 of the Federal Law “On the Protection of Children from Information Harmful to Their Health and Development,” which prohibits the dissemination among minors of information that “justifies or justifies the permissibility of violence and (or) cruelty or encourages violent acts against people.” “The compilers of the training course will have to strictly approach the formation of content so as not to violate the requirements of the law,” noted Alexey Vinokurov, partner of the Legal Assistance legal agency. “The program should not contain scenes of violence, taking into account, for example, the prevalence of inhuman content on the Internet related to the use of UAVs when even individual fighters are being hunted.”

The Ministry of Education itself told Kommersant that the subject results “in general are not an innovation, and previously, in separate modules of the life safety subject, schoolchildren received relevant knowledge about non-military military training, the country’s armed forces and military service.” The ministry’s press service associated the need for changes with the standard process of “updating the school curriculum.”

Nevertheless, “combined arms combat” disappeared from the final version of the amendments. Instead, the 5th paragraph requires high school students to “develop ideas about the combat properties and damaging effects of weapons of mass destruction, as well as methods of protection against them.” UAVs moved to a separate, 6th paragraph “Formation of ideas about the use of UAVs and marine unmanned vehicles.” The department did not comment on the reasons for changing the text of the amendments in the final version of Kommersant.

In addition to mastering basic military training and first aid during combat operations, schoolchildren will study at OZR a number of familiar topics from the former life safety: traffic rules and safe behavior in transport, the basics of fire safety, procedures for action in emergency situations and in the natural environment. Schoolchildren will also be taught the basics of constructive communication, instilled with the skills to distinguish dangerous phenomena in social interaction and ways to counter extremist and terrorist activities. One of the points assumes “developed intolerance towards manifestations of violence in social interaction” and the ability to counteract danger in the digital environment.

In the teaching community, they are no longer waiting for the updated Federal State Educational Standard, but for the model of a textbook on the subject announced by the head of the Ministry of Education, Sergei Kravtsov, and they doubt that it will be possible to staff all schools by the new school year.

Polina Yachmennikova