The military will be left after the lessons – Newspaper Kommersant No. 208 (7409) of 11/10/2022

On Wednesday, Minister of Education Sergei Kravtsov made a loud statement about the appearance in schools of “out-of-class” basic military training (NVP). At the same time, NVP elements are already in the compulsory school curriculum – they are included in the course “Fundamentals of Life Safety” (OBZh). According to Kommersant’s information, back in the summer, the Ministry of Education believed that this program was completely sufficient, and did not plan to supplement it. According to experts, the minister’s statement is a “purely political story” and a reaction to the demand of a number of deputies to “return the NVP to schools”.

On Wednesday, the head of the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation, Sergei Kravtsov, said that an “extracurricular module” for basic military training would be developed for schools. According to him, the materials of the module will be developed before January 1, after which the program will be tested. “And schools from next year will be able to use it in their work,” the minister said. At the same time, the development of the course program will be organized by the Ministry of Defense: this follows from the answer (Kommersant has it) of the military department to the request of the first deputy head of the State Duma Committee on Education, Yana Lantratova. The document states that the implementation of the course will begin in all educational organizations from 2023. The Ministry of Education explained to Kommersant that the NVP module as part of extracurricular activities will not be mandatory – each school can choose it if they wish, based on the opinion of their parents.

It is curious that in the Russian education system there are already school modules devoted to basic military training. They are included in the program of the compulsory subject “Fundamentals of Life Safety”. The Ministry of Education indicates that in these lessons, students should learn about the rights and obligations during conscription and military service. They also “study the issues of the military-professional activity of a citizen” and learn how to provide first aid. Earlier, OBZh teachers told Kommersant that the course provides training fees for tenth graders – 40 compulsory hours. There, young men study fire, medical and combat training; they are expected to be taught by experienced instructors. However, the teachers admitted that “in some schools, military training is approached formally.”

Recently, the Ministry of Education published for public discussion draft federal basic general education programs (FOOP) in a number of subjects. And this document also mentioned a separate module with elements of basic military training – within the framework of the same life safety course. The draft FOOP says that high school students will be taught military salute, actions in combined arms combat and “engineering equipment of the soldier’s position.” Also, schoolchildren will study the facilities for the protection of personnel, the preparation of a single trench, shelters for military equipment and learn how to provide medical care in combat conditions. In addition, high school students will be told about the handling of the Kalashnikov assault rifle, they will explain the device and principle of operation of the F-1 and RGD-5 hand grenades, and they will also teach the rules of shooting (see “Kommersant” dated October 31). As explained to “Kommersant” in the Ministry of Education, the specific content of the module within the framework of life safety will also now be updated by the ministry.

However, it remains unclear from Minister Sergei Kravtsov’s statement and the Defense Ministry’s response to the deputy’s inquiry what they intend to add to the already existing and previously announced programs.

Demands to train schoolchildren in military training are heard more and more often after the introduction of Russian troops into the territory of Ukraine. So, in the summer, the St. Petersburg parliament addressed such a proposal to Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin (see “Kommersant” dated June 29). However, according to Kommersant, at that time the Ministry of Education did not consider such an idea. The department believed that those elements of the NVP that are already in the course of life safety are enough. Judging by Mr. Kravtsov’s statement, the ministry’s position has changed since then.

Vsevolod Lukhovitsky, co-chairman of the Teacher trade union, calls the minister’s statement a “purely political story”: “In the current situation, when a number of deputies declare the need to introduce NVP, the ministry cannot but respond.” He believes that “nothing serious” should be expected in reality: “Everyone understands, and the minister also understands for sure that in fact it will be a circle for those who wish. Surely there will be a certain number of children who will not have enough life safety course. For example, children who want to go to military schools.”

Nikolay Budzhak, a teacher-organizer of life safety from the Leningrad region, draws attention to the fact that even now each school can, at its own discretion, introduce an additional block with NVP as part of extracurricular activities. In addition, he recalls that in many educational institutions there are cells of the all-Russian military-patriotic movement Yunarmiya, where schoolchildren also study military affairs and pre-conscription training in more detail. “Now the main block of the NVP is being taken by students in grades 9 and 10,” says Mr. Budjak. “Perhaps the Ministry of Education wants extracurricular activities to involve grades 5–8 in learning. In addition, now is the time that everyone needs to know the elements of civil defense.”

Anna Vasilyeva