Propaganda instead of knowledge

Starting September 1, Russian schoolchildren will face major changes in their curriculum as the Ministry of Education shifts the focus from civic education and global perspectives to patriotism and ideological control. Some subjects are being cut or reduced, while others — more useful for “patriotic upbringing” — are being expanded.

📌 Civics Removed from Middle School

As of this school year, social studies (obshchestvoznanie) will be completely eliminated from grades 6 and 7. By 2026, it will also disappear from grade 8. This means that middle schoolers will no longer study human rights, legal basics, or social norms. The subject will remain only in high school — in a new, “patriotically-oriented” version.

📌 More History, More Ideology

The freed-up hours will be shifted to history. In grades 5–9, the number of history lessons will increase by almost 50%, from 340 to 476 hours. Students will learn from textbooks authored by Vladimir Medinsky and cover a new module called History of Our Region. The curriculum will include special units on the war against Ukraine, “heroes of the Special Military Operation (SVO),” and so-called “traditional values.”

📌 “Spiritual Culture” Replaces Foreign Language

From September 2026, the number of foreign language lessons in grades 5–7 will be reduced from three to two per week — officially to “optimize the academic load.” At the same time, a new subject called Spiritual and Moral Culture of Russia will be introduced in those same grades. The course will focus on “the lives of outstanding Russian figures, including SVO heroes,” and aims to shape students’ worldview based on “traditional values.”