Change in Russian School Programs: 'Brainwashing Youth' Under the Guise of 'Strengthening Patriotism'

Since the beginning of the war between Russia and Ukraine, the Russian education system has undergone fundamental changes to align with the military agenda of the country. New subjects have been added to the school curriculum 'to strengthen patriotism,' with Russian media estimating that at least 12% of the entire school curriculum is now dedicated to government propaganda. Classes teaching 'the values and special status of Russia,' the participation of 'war heroes' in educational programs, and military camps for children and teenagers are just a few examples of a large campaign that experts call 'brainwashing the younger generation.' At the request of Vladimir Putin, the education of 'patriotic programs' begins in kindergarten. 'Important discussions' were mandated by the Russian Ministry of Education to be added to the curriculum a few months after the war began. Initially, this class was added to the high school curriculum, and since last year, it has been taught in elementary schools, with 'important discussions' now being taught in kindergartens starting this month. In early this month, Vladimir Putin expressed hope that 'patriotic education' would start from kindergarten, likely influenced by videos he saw on his birthday showing children lined up in various kindergartens across Russia to form the word 'Putin' and wishing for 'eternal life' for the president. Independent journalists have estimated that over the past week alone, more than 100 reports about the teaching of 'special discussions' have been published on the official pages of Russian kindergartens on the social network 'VKontakte.' 'Important discussions' are taught at the beginning of each school week, coinciding with the raising of the Russian flag and the playing of the national anthem. According to the Ministry of Education's guidelines, the main topics include teaching 'the fundamentals of patriotism' and 'messages from the special military operation in Ukraine.' According to the publication 'Agnestoo,' in the first school year after adding 'important discussions' to the curriculum, this class was held 36 times. However, in the following year, part of other classes was also dedicated to teaching 'the fundamentals of patriotism,' so that the number of hours dedicated to teaching this subject reached six percent of the total curriculum, and from the new school year, 'the fundamentals of patriotism' constitutes about 12% of the Russian school curriculum. Although these topics are taught less in elementary and middle schools than in high schools, 'Agnestoo' reports that 'out of an average of about 11,000 instructional hours in Russian schools, more than 1,300 hours are dedicated to teaching Kremlin-favored topics.' According to this report, 'the increase in the share of propaganda in educational programs' is due to the Ministry of Education's directive that 'more than 40% of history and social sciences classes are dedicated to teaching political fundamentals and traditional Russian values, with at least 270 instructional hours specifically explaining the destructive ideology of the West.' New 'history lessons' for Russian schools involve mass distortion. In new textbooks written under the supervision of Vladimir Medinsky, assistant to the President of Russia and one of the main advocates of the war against Ukraine, 'the section on the history of the Soviet Union has been rewritten to exaggerate the superpower status of this country and downplay the problems of that era, stating that under Vladimir Putin, Russia leads non-Western countries.' Russian students in the new school year must also take a course to familiarize themselves with Iran as a 'strategic partner' of Russia as part of geography and history lessons. Additionally, the history of regions in Ukraine that Russia claims to have annexed is taught in Russian schools, but experts believe this information is distorted to justify 'the belonging of this part of Ukraine to Russia.' In the new school year, lessons on 'the fundamentals of security and defense of Russia,' 'the fundamentals of culture and moral principles of Russia,' 'family principles,' and 'military exercises' have been added to the school curriculum. Students in grades 8 to 10 are also required to participate in military camps. According to this report and the Ministry of Education's directive, 'by the end of their education, Russian students must know that there is no country better than Russia in the world.' The publication 'Vazhniy Istori' examined what topics have been taught in classes added to the Russian school curriculum this new school year. According to this report, on the occasion of the 120th anniversary of the TASS news agency, 'how to counter fake news' was reviewed, and it was stated that 'the media inside Russia is the only reliable source of information about Russia and the world.' In 'family principles,' emphasis is placed on 'the necessity of chastity, marriage, and large families.' In 'military exercises,' elementary and middle school students learn 'what to do in the event of a nuclear explosion and afterward,' while in high school, they learn to counter terrorist activities and the production, use, and role of drones in military and civilian situations. Topics that have been taught for the first time in Russian elementary schools include 'historical distortion and media wars aimed at downplaying Russia's status, serving the homeland, and a multipolar world, including the increasing role of BRICS countries led by Russia and China.' Additionally, according to this report, English language instructional hours in Russian schools have been reduced, and the topic of world literature has changed. Previously, the Russian Ministry of Education announced that the topics raised in schools must 'be aligned with changes in the geopolitical situation in the world.' With this goal, 'Harry Potter' as well as works by J.D. Salinger, Bel Kaufman, and Diana Johnson have been removed from the world literature curriculum in Russian schools. Works by some Russian writers and poets who opposed the government during the Soviet era have also been removed, and even mentioning writers who have been declared 'foreign agents' is prohibited. On the other hand, the teaching of novels by Zakhar Prilepin, which has been sanctioned by the West due to war propaganda, has been added to the new curriculum. Reports indicate that most Russian citizens are not very pleased with the recent changes in their children's educational programs, including not considering 'important discussions' as 'important.' Many experts warn about the 'destructive impact' of the new educational program of the Russian government. Dima Zitzer, author of multiple books on child development, told the 'Republic' publication: 'Children, due to their natural susceptibility, are of special interest to totalitarian governments. In the history of the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany, we know many stories of how children were brainwashed, and even their parents and relatives sometimes became their victims. One day, the Russian government will change, but the damage currently inflicted on society, and primarily on children, may be irreparable for several generations.'