The war – the invasion of Ukraine makes this clear – is played out on the frontlines, in offices and also, in its own way, in schools. With the Ukrainian war in the background, Russia has decided to make a strange move that targets neither military bases nor diplomacy, but the classrooms where schoolchildren are educated: It will teach its students how to use and assemble drones, which is how good it is. they give him the results on the battlefield. For this purpose, the Ministry of National Education will purchase thousands of unmanned aerial vehicles and the authorities aim to have thousands of private classrooms within a few years.

This is countless evidence of the militarization of Russian classrooms.

Math, history, physics… and drones. Russian students will leave high schools having learned more about math, geography, history, chemistry, or any of the subjects usually taught in classrooms. Among the knowledge they will receive from their teachers is one that is far less traditional: handling lethal drones. Country It was published yesterday that the Ministry of National Education will purchase more than 17,000 unmanned aerial devices this year. Purpose: For students to learn how to use and combine them.

Although the program started this year, the Kremlin hopes that by the end of this decade, that is, by 2030, there will be 4,872 school classes and 380 training centers specializing in drone piloting across Russia. They will teach you how to operate these devices and how to set up machines, including 3D printers, to repair them. The idea is for students to know how to pilot these and also prepare them.

Click on the image to go to the tweet.

“Methods of war”. The Kremlin’s desire for Russians to familiarize themselves with the use of fighter jets is not new. In July Moscow Times He had already stated that schoolchildren would learn the basic concepts of flying these vehicles and insisted – in case there was any doubt about their purpose – that the initiative was clearly military-focused. Citing a statement from the Ministry of Defense distributed by state agency RIA Novosti, the newspaper stated that in a few months, high school students in the country will learn “terrain reconnaissance and combat methods.”

A well thought out idea. “The program has been approved by Russian Education and will be implemented in educational institutions and youth centers for patriotic-military education,” the defense statement said. At that time, it was reported that 30,000 university students in Moscow and Saint Petersburg already had information about drones and that the new measure would be implemented in September. That month, there was at least one school in Krasnodar offering UAV fighter piloting lessons with the help of technical simulators.

Now Country The statement stated that Russian teachers will start drone training in more than 500 training centers as of July, and that the program is aimed to be “fully ready” by the end of summer. The implementation, which will start in hundreds of schools this year, aims to reach almost 4,900 classrooms by the Kremlin by 2030.

Outside and inside Russia. Not all efforts are concentrated in Russia. A few days ago, Business Insider claimed that Russia wanted to provide education with drones in schools in occupied regions in Ukraine. Purpose: To teach the transportation, assembly and design of UAVs. newspaper last month Kyiv Independent While announcing that seven vocational training centers in Ukraine will launch a program on drone management, he assured that the name of the project, which will be operational in many provinces, is “Commercial Drone Pilot”.

Other responsive governments. The Kremlin’s initiative was significant enough to attract the attention of London. In July, the British Minister of Defense issued a statement saying thread in x Here he analyzed the changes he planned to implement in the country’s schools. “All Russian schoolchildren will be taught the basics of operating combat drones. Senator Artem Sheikin announced that the lessons will cover how to conduct terrain reconnaissance and ways to counter enemy UAVs.” warned British body.

Click on the image to go to the tweet.

Militarization of classes. The United Kingdom goes even further context provided To better understand the new drone training: “Drone classes will be mandatory in the revised ‘Security Fundamentals’ curriculum for 10th and 11th grade students, in addition to vital assault rifle training, grenade handling and first aid combat.” September 1, 2023″.

“Russia’s renewed emphasis on child recruitment is an attempt to cultivate a largely militarized culture of patriotism rather than developing real talent –British Ministry of Defense says—. However, combining UAV capabilities [uncrewed aerial vehicle] “It highlights how Russia has identified the use of tactical drones in Ukraine as a permanent component of contemporary warfare.”

From teachers… and soldiers. In this context, Russia wanted to do more than train its students in the use of combat UAVs. Country Remember that the military has become a common figure in schools; It is not strange to find here in the last few months fighters from the Ukrainian war or history books with “brainwashing” content that Amnesty International condemns.

In August, Putin signed a law that also introduced a new subject into classrooms: ‘Fundamentals of homeland security and defense’, and was accompanied by initiatives such as trips to army units or “military sports games”.

Image | Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation

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