The Russian universities under the Ministry of Education will begin next year with the raising of the tricolor flag, the Russian anthem and patriotic classes, as has been done in schools since last year.
”In the universities subordinated to the Ministry of Education, the pedagogical universities, the week will start with the national anthem, the raising of the national flag and also with lessons ‘Conversations about what matters’”, said the head of Education, Sergei Kravtsov, this Sunday.
According to the official agency RIA Novostiin Russia there are 34 pedagogical universities under the Ministry of Education.
Russia already established in September 2022 the raising of the Russian flag and the anthem as an obligation in all schools in the country, as well as a class on Mondays dedicated to patriotic education called “Conversations about what is important.”
These lessons are taught from the first to the eleventh grade and are adapted to the different ages of the schoolchildren, but they deal in particular with Russian policy in Ukraine.
This subject was criticized by some parent unions that linked its appearance with the desire of the authorities to propagandize the Russian military campaign in the neighboring country.
Last December Kravtsov also announced that Russia plans to compulsorily include the history of the military campaign in Ukraine in school books, which will celebrate its first year next Friday.
The new material that will soon be studied in schools is under review at the Russian Ministry of Justice.
Kravtsov further stated that his ministry decided to hold these weekly classes for parents as well, although the format is still being studied.
“We made the decision that “Talks About What Matters” was also for parents,” he stressed.
controversy in schools
The controversy erupted in the parents’ chats when the educational authorities announced in September 2022 that the school week will start every Monday with a patriotic class called “Talking about what’s important”which its critics consider mere “propaganda lessons”.
According to the script published by the ministry, during that half hour the tutors must foster national pride anchored in historybut also closely linked to the current military campaign, with texts, videos and songs.
Teachers must present testimonials from combatants, so that students understand that “Russian military are heroes” and that “residents of the Donetsk and Lugansk people’s republics are Russians and therefore it is important that they return to Russia” .
“Love the country, serve the country”, “The happiness of the country is more valuable than life itself” or “For the mother country it is not afraid to die” are some of the answers that these classes expect from the student, according to the ministerial methodology.
Two teachers’ organizations urged parents of students to boycott what they openly called “ideological project” of the Kremlingiven that promotes that the main ideal for a Russian is to serve the homeland, “often with arms in hand”.
They consider that the very definition of the military operation and the allusion to the “Kiev regime” and NATO “have nothing to do with patriotic education” and recall that, according to current legislation, “any propaganda in schools is prohibited” .
“We are convinced that authentic patriotism cannot be educated in an atmosphere of hatred, fear and imposition”says the letter, which warns that these classes cannot be mandatory, so they should be the last class on Friday.
According to the press, some teachers have already denounced that these classes do not promote patriotism, but rather subservience towards the Russian leaders.
(With information from EFE)
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Source-www.infobae.com