Russia will increase the amount of military training taught in schools from September, with pupils as young as 11 receiving additional lessons on drone operations, field exercises and combat skills under an expanded national curriculum.
Education Minister Sergei Kravtsov said military instruction will increase from about one-fifth to half of all teaching time allocated to the compulsory Fundamentals of Safety and Defence of the Homeland course from 1 September. The course is taught to pupils in sixth through eleventh grades and runs for 34 hours each academic year, meaning students will receive at least 17 hours of military-focused lessons annually. It also covers emergency preparedness, civic responsibilities and national defence.
