Back to work: what will be taught in the new lessons of the REVIEW

The Russian Ministry of Education has prepared a draft of a new program on the subject of "Fundamentals of Security and Protection of the Motherland" (OBZR). The agency proposes to abandon the modular system and introduce two compulsory courses — "Basic military training" and "Life safety". For more information about how school lessons can change, see the Izvestia article.

What will students learn in the lessons of the REVIEW

They want to replace the school subject "Fundamentals of security and defense of the Motherland" with two courses — "Basic military training" and "Life Safety". The document is at the stage of public discussion and interdepartmental approval.

According to the project, 34 academic hours per year, one lesson per week, are provided for students in grades 5-9 for each of the courses. Classes are planned to be conducted in a practice-oriented format using simulators, virtual models and interactive technologies.

The course "Basic Military Training" will include the basics of fire training. Students will study the design and characteristics of small arms, the rules for safe handling, master the assembly and disassembly of Kalashnikov assault rifles and Makarov pistols, and take part in practical exercises at shooting ranges.

The program also provides for the study of tactical medicine, including first aid in the field, tourniqueting, splinting and evacuation of victims. Another new direction will be familiarization with unmanned aerial vehicles: students will learn about the basics of quadcopter aerodynamics, the rules of their use and ways to counter drones.

In addition, the course will include military topography, terrain orientation, working with maps and a compass, determining coordinates, as well as elements of combat training.

The second discipline, Life Safety, will be devoted to protecting humans from natural, man-made and social threats. The program includes issues of information security, countering Internet fraud and phishing, rules for safe behavior on social networks, as well as prevention of teenagers' involvement in destructive communities.

Schoolchildren will also be taught how to respond to the "Attention everyone!" signal, fires, utility accidents, and other emergencies. Special attention will be paid to first aid in case of accidents, burns and fainting, as well as the basics of countering extremism and terrorism.

It is assumed that after the approval of the document, new courses will begin to be gradually introduced in Russian schools, and the final assessment on them will be taken into account on an equal basis with other compulsory subjects.

How did the reform begin?

Discussions on the return of primary military training to Russian schools began long before the current reform of the GDR. An active discussion unfolded in the fall of 2022, when deputies and representatives of federal agencies proposed making NVP a mandatory part of the school curriculum.

One of the initiators was the leader of the Fair Russia — For Truth party, Sergei Mironov, who appealed to the Russian Ministry of Defense with a proposal to include a separate subject "Basic military training" in the compulsory program of secondary general and secondary vocational education.

In a response signed by Valery Gerasimov, Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, the Ministry of Defense supported this initiative. The ministry said that the introduction of a separate NVP course "deserves attention and is supported." In addition, the Ministry proposed to consolidate at least 140 academic hours for the discipline during the last two years of study.

The Ministry of Defense also noted that the program would require teacher training. The Agency recommended organizing professional retraining of current teachers, and, if necessary, involving reserve officers, former contract servicemen and combat participants in teaching.

The initiative also received support from representatives of parliamentary factions. The deputies noted that the school course may include not only the basics of fire training, but also training in first aid, orientation, tactical medicine and other practical skills that may be useful both during military service and in everyday life.

At the same time, part of the teaching community expressed a more restrained position. The teachers drew attention to the already existing high academic load and suggested not introducing a separate discipline, but expanding the relevant sections within the framework of the current OBZH course (later — OBZR).

How has the initial military training in Russian schools changed?

Basic military training was already taught in Soviet schools. In 1968, the course was introduced on the basis of the law on universal military service. It was studied by high school students, with a ten-year education system, classes began in the 9th grade.

The NVP had two training hours per week, which, as a rule, were conducted in the format of two paired lessons. At the end of the training, the young men underwent a week-long training camp in military units. There they got acquainted with the life of military personnel, the organization of internal and guard services, as well as studied weapons samples and the basics of military training.

In 1990, the Ministry of Education of the RSFSR abolished the teaching of primary military training in schools. Instead, it was decided to conduct pre-conscription training only during field training camps in military sports and recreation camps.

After more than three decades, elements of military training are returning to the school curriculum. As previously reported by Russian Minister of Education Sergey Kravtsov, from September 1, 2026, the share of primary military training in the subject "Fundamentals of Security and Defense of the Motherland" will increase from 20% to 50% of the study time. In addition, the Ministry of Education and Science proposes to allocate NVP in a separate training course along with the discipline "Life Safety".

According to Anatoly Wasserman, a member of the State Duma Committee on Education, the return of basic military training is not related to an attempt to restore the Soviet education system, but to the need to adapt the school curriculum to modern conditions. He also supported the idea of dividing the OBR into two independent courses, noting that military training and life safety issues differ both in content and in their educational objectives.