{"id":7038,"date":"2024-11-06T17:24:24","date_gmt":"2024-11-06T15:24:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/almenda.org\/?p=7038"},"modified":"2024-11-07T13:05:00","modified_gmt":"2024-11-07T11:05:00","slug":"shho-prixovuye-rosijska-osvita-v-timchasovo-okupovanomu-krimu","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/almenda.org\/en\/shho-prixovuye-rosijska-osvita-v-timchasovo-okupovanomu-krimu\/","title":{"rendered":"What does Russian education hide in the temporarily occupied Crimea?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Around 500,060<\/a> children live in the temporarily occupied territories of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, of whom 285,000 attend schools run by the occupation authorities according to Russian standards. At the same time, any opportunities to study under the Ukrainian education system are being destroyed – according to the occupation authorities, only 197<\/a> children study in the Ukrainian language on the peninsula and in the 1st grade in a school with Russian as the language of instruction. In July this year, the occupation authorities announced the closure of two \u2018pro-Ukrainian Islamic schools\u2019<\/a> in the temporarily occupied city of Simferopol. Thus, formal and non-formal education in the occupation involves no alternative and compulsory attendance of children at propaganda, Russification and militaristic events that are held on a regular basis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Formal education<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Schools are taught using new textbooks<\/a>, including history, which contain sections on \u2018the coup d’\u00e9tat in Ukraine, the preconditions for the return of Crimea to the Russian Federation, the chronology of the Easter and the reactions of Western countries\u2019, and children are taught to perceive distorted historical events in the interests of Russian state policy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Photo of a detailed history textbook for grades 10-11, which is used in schools of the TOT of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea<\/em><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Also, since September 1, 2024, children have been trained in firearms, medical training, and the control of unmanned aerial vehicles as part of the new subject \u201cFundamentals of Security and Defense of the Motherland\u201d<\/a> and consolidate their knowledge at the training ground. At the same time, so-called lessons of courage for children are conducted by Russian military personnel involved in the war against Ukraine. For example, on October 9, 2024, a meeting of the TOT of Simferopol was held at school 24 named after I.P. Klymenko in Simferopol. Simferopol, a meeting<\/a> was held between members of the so-called IAG and 9th grade students. A similar event was held in Verkhorichenska school in Bakhchisarai district, where a Russian serviceman, Private Volodymyr Zaporozhetsev, spoke<\/a> to children in grades 5-7 about his experience of participating in the so-called \u201cspecial military operation\u201d (SMO).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A photo of a student of school #24 of the TOT in Simferopol.Simferopol with a member of the so-called \u201cSMO\u201d, October 2024<\/em><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Photo from a meeting of students of grades 5-7 with a member of the so-called SMO in Verkhorichenka school in Bakhchysarai district, October 2014<\/em><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The general school curriculum is complemented by weekly line-ups<\/a> with the national anthem and the display of the Russian Federation flag. These activities are followed by extracurricular lessons called \u201cTalks about the Important\u201d, which are also compulsory. Most of the topics of \u201cConversations about Important<\/a> Things\u201d are of a propagandistic nature: \u201cThe Day of Reunification of the Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson Regions with the Russian Federation\u201d, \u201cLegends about Russia\u201d, \u201cRoads of Russia\u201d, \u201cHeroes of Our Time\u201d, \u201cAllies of Russia\u201d, etc. The first \u201cConversation about Important Things\u201d in the 2024-2025 school year was held personally by V. Putin, who approved the holding of such lessons for the youngest children, and they will soon be introduced in kindergartens<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Photo from the lesson \u201cConversations about Important Things\u201d in the gymnasium \u211624 of the TOT of Sevastopol, held in October 2024<\/em><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

And from October 15 to November 15, 2024, the occupation authorities are holding an all-Russian action<\/u><\/a> with a russification goal and a propaganda title \u201cI am Russian\u201d in the format of a digital lesson for 4th and 5th graders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Informal education and recreation<\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Over the years of occupation of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, it has become clear that formal education has become a tool for indoctrinating and Russifying Ukrainian children, but what about non-formal education? Do children have the opportunity to take a break from obsessive narratives?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Non-formal education is provided through children’s and youth movements that organize and conduct events, games, actions, competitions, etc. The most popular movements in the TOT of the AR of Crimea and Sevastopol are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n