- Статьи
- Society
- Moral Law: The Ministry of Education and Science has approved new deadlines for changing the school curriculum
Moral Law: The Ministry of Education and Science has approved new deadlines for changing the school curriculum
The timing of the appearance of the school course "Spiritual and Moral Culture of Russia" has been revised: the agency decided to extend the launch for several years and introduce the discipline gradually, the Ministry of Education told Izvestia. Previously, it was planned to start teaching the subject for students in grades 5-7 as early as the 2026/27 academic year. Izvestia investigated why the authorities decided to introduce this subject, how it would affect the educational process, and whether the educational program could change in any other way.
Smooth transition
Adjustments have been made to the federal program of basic general education regarding the appearance of the course "Spiritual and Moral Culture of Russia," the Ministry of Education and Science told Izvestia. The changes are fixed by Order No. 808 of November 10, 2025, which was approved by the Ministry of Education of Russia.
The document provides for the gradual launch of a new discipline. In the coming academic year, fifth—graders will begin to master the subject, and starting from the 2027/28 academic year, the course will cover three parallels at once - grades 5, 6 and 7. The load volume is also differentiated. Thus, 17 academic hours are planned for 5th grade students, whereas in 6th and 7th grades the program is designed for 34 hours each.
"The purpose of the educational subject is to form a worldview among schoolchildren based on traditional Russian spiritual and moral values by studying the life paths of Russian government and public figures, prominent representatives of our culture, scientists, and the military, including heroes of a special military operation," the ministry said.
There are also changes in the distribution of study time in foreign languages in grades 5-7, which will begin to operate from the 2026/27 academic year. The order of the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation fixes the adjustment of the clock without abandoning the subject itself. Foreign languages retain the status of a compulsory discipline throughout school education — from 2nd to 11th grade, and the changes themselves will also be implemented gradually.
It is assumed that the main point of reviewing the workload is to organize the curriculum more efficiently. As explained in the Ministry of Education, we are talking about building a balanced model in which students will be able to evenly distribute efforts between subjects and master each area of knowledge more deeply. The optimization of hours is aimed at improving the quality of education and reducing overload.
Educational institutions with advanced language learning will be able to add hours due to the variable part of the program. In middle school, the emphasis is on practical language acquisition through projects, clubs and extracurricular activities, while in high school, learning will become more conscious and focused on the future profession.
Prospects for change
This is not a fundamentally new step, Boris Ilyukhin, senior researcher at the Center for Economics of Continuing Education at the Presidential Academy, reminded Izvestia. A similar course previously appeared in stages in elementary grades, and now the same approach is applied at the secondary school level.
— The importance of this topic is especially noticeable against the background of the ongoing processes in the country and the world. It is extremely important that the younger generation understands the spiritual and cultural foundations of the life of different peoples living in Russia. The formation of respect, dialogue and the ability for peaceful coexistence between cultures is one of the key tasks of such training," he noted.
The gradual launch of the course will make it possible to develop full-fledged teaching kits and materials for classroom work in advance, as well as to arrange the schedule more accurately, Yulia Kovalenko, PhD in Economics, Deputy head of the Higher School of Economics of Moscow (Faculty) of Plekhanov Russian University of Economics, told Izvestia. The task is to build the educational process in such a way that academic knowledge and the development of cultural orientations complement each other, without creating imbalances in any of these areas.
— Parents may naturally fear that the innovation will lead to an increase in the total number of lessons. However, there are no plans to increase the academic load: some of the classes, for example, in foreign languages, are supposed to be transferred to an extracurricular format — clubs, sections and club activities," she noted.
As a result of this model, students will experience less pressure from the schedule and will be able to more meaningfully choose the areas of study that they will really need when they go on to university, Yulia Kovalenko believes.
"The introduction of this discipline will allow you to delve into historical processes and learn more about the culture of your country, which is very multifaceted and has its own peculiarities of formation and traditions," the expert emphasized. — Also, within the framework of government programs such as Demography, talking about the cultural values of the family is one of the priorities in the country.
Digitalization of knowledge
The decision to introduce the course is related to the task of forming a harmoniously developed personality capable of living and interacting in a multinational environment, Inna Litvinenko, Associate professor at the Russian State University of Social Technology, member of the Public Council at the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation, told Izvestia.
— The study of the spiritual and moral values and cultural traditions of the peoples of Russia should contribute to the development of tolerance, mutual respect and reduce the level of aggression and alienation among schoolchildren. For children who are just starting school, the program is focused on accepting classmates regardless of their background or social status," she stressed.
The appearance of the subject in the school schedule, in her opinion, is supposed to be a factor in improving the educational environment. Due to greater mutual understanding within classes, the number of conflict situations can be reduced, which, in turn, will reduce the burden on teachers and administration and allow them to focus on learning tasks.
"The educational program as a whole remains flexible and can be adjusted as social realities and the pace of life change," she recalled. — In the future, there may be shifts towards more active use of digital learning tools, as well as the expansion of courses aimed at developing communication skills, the ability to build real social connections and maintain constructive relationships in society.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
