Putin backs early start to instill state values in preschools

The President of Russia held a press conference during which he met with the finalists of the "Teacher of the Year" competition. "It's no coincidence that our nation has these lasting expressions, like 'absorbed something with mother's milk,'" quotes Putin, reports the "Moscow Times".

Putin assured that all fundamental values must be conveyed to the youngest carefully and should be associated with the concept of the homeland, including the mother, father, grandmother, grandfather, brother, or sister.

As reported by Russian media, Putin insisted that "moderation must be maintained in everything." "These are children. They have a certain level of development, and on that basis, we need to work with them," explained Putin, even though Russian propaganda is hardly known for its moderation.

According to the Moscow Times, one of the competition finalists, Nadezhda Vorontsova, a kindergarten teacher from kindergarten No. 84 in Vologda, made such proposals. She particularly advocated starting "Conversations on Important Matters" with preschoolers as young as five. A year ago, propaganda lessons were already introduced in Russian schools.

The classes are held every Monday, beginning with the raising of the flag and the playing of the national anthem. Students are informed about topics such as the war in Ukraine, the annexation of Crimea, Russia's role in the world and its "allies," the benefits of paying taxes, and the importance of government bodies, writes the "Moscow Times".

The classes are not part of the official educational curriculum, but attendance is required. Education Minister Sergey Kravtsov noted that the lessons aim to instill spiritual and moral values in children in accordance with the national security strategy. Russians themselves responded to a survey on this topic. According to them, this subject is deemed useless.