Russia To Reintroduce Military Training Into High Schools

Personnel receiving instruction.

“The course of basic military training (NVP) will again appear in schools from next year.”

The accompanying excerpted article from the official Russian Government daily newspaper, Rossiyskaya Gazeta, discusses Russian plans to reintroduce a “basic military training” course into high schoolers’ educational curricu- lum. In Soviet times, rudimentary military skills (small arms familiarization, first aid, close order drill, etc.) were taught to all students, with differing training regimens for male and female students. These courses were supplemented by the Volunteer Society for Cooperation with the Army, Aviation, and Navy (DOSAAF), a paramilitary organization that sponsors after-school activities involving militarily useful skills associated with sports, weapons, automobiles, and aviation.1 Although military training was removed from the high school curriculum in the 1990s, DOSAAF has remained in continuous operation. Undoubtedly, the reintroduction of military training into high school curriculums is directly related to ongoing events in Ukraine, continuing the trend of the growing militarization of Russian civil society.

Sources:

Maria Agranovich, “Курс начальной военной подготовки вернется в школьную программу в 2023 году (The course of basic military training will return to school curriculums in 2023),” Rossiyskaya Gazeta (official Russian Government daily newspaper), 9 November 2022. https://rg.ru/2022/11/10/klass-na-marshe.html

The course of basic military training (NVP) will again appear in schools from next year.2

This was announced by the Minister of Education of Russia Sergey Kravtsov. “We will prepare such a course before January 1, 2023, then it will be tested, and schools will be able to use it from the next academic year,” Kravtsov said.

Recall that the “basic military training” course was removed from school curriculums in the 1990s, and discussion of its return started this spring. Now the Ministry of Education plans to integrate this knowledge into the Federal Basic Educational Program for students in 10-11 grade, the draft of which is posted on the Internet for public discussion. This training will not be taught as a separate subject, but as modules within the course “Fundamentals of Life Safety” (OBZh).

In the draft educational program for high school students in the course “OBZh” there are two options for program, one of which is basic and contains the usual sections about safety at home, in transport, in society and in natural conditions, as well as basic knowledge of state security, defense and the basics of military service.
In the second version there is a separate module “Elements of initial military training.” In this version there is training on close order drill, military greetings, and small arms. Pupils in grades 10-11 will learn how to provide first aid and get acquainted with personal protective equipment…

Notes:

[1] Volunteer Society for Cooperation with the Army, Aviation, and Navy (DOSAAF) [Добровольное общество содействия армии, авиации и флоту (ДОСААФ)].

[2] Basic military training (NVP) [начальной военной подготовки (НВП)].

Image Information:

Image: Personnel receiving instruction.
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