A new Russian school textbook has been created, presenting a distorted version of the history of the conflict with Ukraine and encouraging students to consider military service.
This textbook is part of a new curriculum titled “Fundamentals of Security and Defence of the Motherland”. It is mandatory for high school students aged 15 to 18 in Russia and occupied territories of Ukraine. Starting from September, this subject will replace the previous “Fundamentals of Safe Living” lesson, and it will be taught once a week.
The course will be taught by former soldiers, and Russians with a pedagogical background who have returned from military service are already being offered free retraining courses to qualify as teachers for this subject.
The inaugural textbook for the new subject, titled “The Russian Army in Defence of the Fatherland,” has been published by Enlightenment, a prominent Russian educational publisher. It features contributions from two senior figures associated with the defense ministry and the Kremlin newspaper Rossiiskaya Gazeta.
Spanning 368 pages, the textbook chronicles the “heroic achievements of Russian soldiers” from the 13th Century to the present day.
During an online introductory session for teachers in January, attended by the BBC, publishing representative Olga Plechova emphasized the importance of presenting information to students strictly from the perspective of Russia. She stated, “Dear colleagues, we all understand the importance of presenting information to our students from the perspective of [Russia]. We cannot convey alternative viewpoints to the students. So this textbook will assist you in addressing children’s questions and providing accurate coverage of certain events.”
The textbook also includes a section that presents a distorted version of history to justify Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, referring to it as a “special military operation” as termed by the Kremlin.
Another section of the book begins with a detailed examination of the structure of the Russian Armed Forces and encourages individuals over the age of 18 to enlist in the army.
She believes the schoolbook could potentially contribute to an increase in military enlistment numbers, resulting in more young individuals going to war and facing potential fatalities.
Fact
The textbook will be part of a subject taught by ex-soldiers in both Russia and occupied Ukraine.
