What will happen now
The head of the Ministry of Education, Sergei Kravtsov, said that from the next academic year – that is, from September 1, 2023 – basic military training courses (NVP) will be opened in Russian schools.
“From next academic year, it will be in schools, it is now being prepared until January 1, then it will be tested and schools will be able to use it from next year.” reported Minister after the honorary jury meeting of the education award “Knowledge”.
Shortly after, the press service of the Ministry of Education announced that the first military training courses in schools would be extracurricular. “An extra-curricular module on basic military training will be prepared for Russian schools and will be included in training programs from next academic year,” the ministry said in a statement.
According to the current legislation, extracurricular activities are a compulsory part of the education program, so it is compulsory to attend such classes.
This fall, several senators and deputies of the State Duma came up with the idea to return the initial military education to Russian schools. They advocated attempts to improve the quality of high school students’ preparation for possible further service in the Armed Forces and noted that this work has now de facto ended in general education institutions.
In particular, Sergei Mironov, the leader of A Just Russia – For Truth, appealed to the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Defense with a relevant proposal. “This issue has become especially grave with the start of special military operations. Even many volunteers do not have the necessary experience to participate in combat operations. The introduction of such a topic in schools will allow citizens to systematically prepare for a possible confrontation with the enemy.
Idea in the military department supported. Therefore, the First Deputy Minister of Defense Valery Gerasimov, in response to Mironov’s letter, said that the NVP for schoolchildren is now very relevant.
“Given the relevance of the subject under consideration, the proposal to introduce a separate academic subject “Basic military training”, which is mandatory for training at the general secondary and secondary vocational education levels, certainly deserves attention and is supported,” said Gerasimov.
He also expressed his wishes regarding the content of such courses and suggested that they be given 140 hours of lectures in the last two years of their education. In addition, the Ministry of National Defense has deemed it necessary to properly retrain the teachers of this subject in order for the NVP to be carried out effectively.
In the event that there are not enough teachers, recruitment will be made from among the officers who are doing their contracted military service. According to the military department, in the recruitment of such teachers, priority should be given to combatants.
The Department of Defense is also ready to participate in the development of legislative changes necessary to introduce CWP courses in schools.
28 October on the regulation portal seen Draft Federal General Education Program of Secondary General Education (FOOP). As noted in the document, the Elements of Basic Military Training module will appear as part of the OBZh topic – high school students will be taught the rules of the military salute, handling the AK-74, drill training, the basics of shooting, the operation of the F-1 and RGD-5 bombs. In addition, personal protective equipment will be introduced, the basics of first aid in combat and transportation of the wounded will be demonstrated.
On November 8, the Ministry of Education said that they were developing a separate training course for basic military training. Deputy Minister Tatyana Vasilyeva told citizens that the organization of training in basic knowledge in the field of defense and training in the basics of military service in schools and colleges will take place within the framework of the instructions. It provides 35 training hours over five days for the CWP.
what was there before
An analogue of the first military training was first introduced in the USSR in 1918. Later it was called compulsory military training, it was organized by the decision of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee “On compulsory training in martial arts”. It affected citizens aged 15-20 years. Students between the ages of 15-17 took part in specially open education centers. Young people between the ages of 18-20 were included in the reserve unit lists after 96 hours of courses.
Compulsory military education was abolished in 1947 for all young non-students, and from 1962 for all high school students. Five years later, a new version of the law “Universal Military Duty” was passed, and in 1967 the NVP was renewed for high school students, students of vocational schools, technical schools and other secondary vocational and special educational institutions. In parallel, part of the initial military training was taken over by DOSAAF institutions. At the same time, both boys and girls were trained.
In Soviet schools, NVP has been taught for the past two years, that is, in grades 9 and 10. Teachers, as a rule, were reserve officers with combat experience, who received special training to conduct this course. They were called military trainers, usually teaching two hours a week. For a full-fledged work of the NVP, posters, mock-ups, respirators, gas masks, dosimeters and gas analyzers, training weapons (Kalashnikov assault rifles, grenade dummies) and small-caliber were supplied to educational institutions. and air rifles. All this was stored in special rooms with alarms.
The students themselves and the students attending the CWP courses wore khaki military shirts in the classes. In parallel with this, DOSAAF had training opportunities in military applied disciplines for those who wanted to receive additional training before enlisting. In such institutions, they can learn to drive trucks, caterpillars and motor vehicles, and take radio telegraph operator courses. He was also taught skydiving and sport airplane control.
During the perestroika in 1990, by order of the Ministry of Education, basic military education in RSFSR schools was de facto abolished. Basic military and defense training before military service was given to defense and sports children’s camps as well as field training camps organized regularly. In 1998, a new law “On military service and military service” was passed, which provided the NVP in the country’s education system, but the teaching of these subjects was never revived, neither in schools nor in colleges.
Source: Gazeta
Barbara Dickson is a seasoned writer for “Social Bites”. She keeps readers informed on the latest news and trends, providing in-depth coverage and analysis on a variety of topics.