The Ministry of Education has updated the manuals for "Conversations about the Important", which are held on Mondays in all schools from this year. References to the “special operation” in Ukraine were removed from the materials for teachers on the lesson on September 12, the Union of Teachers drew attention . Alliance spokesman Daniel Ken told The Insider that this was the result of "public pressure."
Also, phrases about “protecting the Russian people” and “it’s not scary to die for the motherland” were removed from the manuals. According to the union, updating the manuals is the result of "tremendous internal resistance" from parents, teachers, schoolchildren and college students who have not been silent.
Ken added that there was “too much social media anger” following the media coverage of the content of the lessons. According to him, the Ministry of Education was afraid that parents would massively refuse lessons, children would miss them on their own decision, and teachers would organize “mass sabotage”:
“At the same time, they will just as easily roll back and return military propaganda if public attention subsides. You have to keep following the tutorials. The Teachers' Alliance will continue to help anyone who wants to forego lessons."
Recall that since September 5, "Conversations about the important", one of which was held on September 1 by Putin, has been held in all schools in Russia. The manuals for the lessons for teachers contained references to the war in Ukraine and information about the "exploits" of the Russian military in the Donbass. The New York Times wrote that the head of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, was involved in the creation of "Conversations about the Important". He became a guest of the course, as did Patriarch Kirill, who supported the war in Ukraine. Among the topics for "talking about important things" are the 110th anniversary of the author of the anthems of the USSR and Russia, Sergei Mikhalkov, "The Immortal Regiment" and "reunification with the Crimea." The Ministry of Education has already spent 22 million rubles on such "interactive materials".
The Soft Power Movement and the Teachers' Alliance, in an open letter on the eve of September 1, called on the parents of students, as well as teachers, to boycott propaganda classes. They recalled that "manuals and instructions issued from above" are advisory, not mandatory. School directors “out of fear of the authorities” deceive parents, declaring that propaganda lessons are mandatory. However, no one is obliged to let children go to these classes.