Mandatory military training of students has begun in schools in Crimea occupied by Russia, according to several reports of Russian state media, which also broadcast videos of children’s “training”.

A segment of one report aired on Russian television shows students, including girls, being taught to collect and handle weapons, seemingly encouraging it.

Last November, Russian Education Minister Serhiy Kravtsov announced that a basic military training course would be introduced in Russian schools starting in the new academic year.

“It will be in schools from the next academic year, now preparations are being made for January 1, then there will be testing,” he told Russian journalists on November 9.

He stated this after the Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Federation, General Valery Gerasimov, handed over the relevant proposal to the head of the “Just Russia – For Truth” parliamentary party, Serhii Mironov, who is part of the so-called “systemic opposition”. in Russia, which supports the policy of the Kremlin.

Later, after questioning Mironov, who is considered one of the most influential Russian parliamentarians, the Russian Education Minister announced that he was working on a project on the matter.

Russia is militarizing its students

The move comes in the broader context of the “militarization” of schoolchildren in Russia following the start of a “special military operation” on February 24.

At the opening of the 2022-2023 school year, shocking footage of children holding bouquets of flowers with the letter Z, “patriotic lessons” about the war in Ukraine, and performances in military uniform appeared on social networks.

“Students will not be left alone in the face of the information war being waged against our country,” the education minister said on September 1, explaining some of the changes that have already been made to the Russian education system.

Thus, according to the decision of the Ministry, in all schools of this country, every week will begin with the raising of the flag of the Russian Federation in the premises of educational institutions and the performance of the national anthem.

In addition, additional hours will be organized with the general topic “Talks about the weekend”. According to the new provision, there will be 34 such lessons in the academic year.

For younger children, the so-called “patriotic education” is offered with the teaching of general information about the country, state symbols, history, etc.

But for those who study in the 11th grade, the last in the Russian education system, the expected result of these lessons is “students’ understanding of the goals of the “military special operation”, as well as the fact that the residents of the “LPR” and “DPR” (the so-called Donetsk and Luhansk republics) are Russian, so the return of the provinces to Russia was important.

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