5 minutes agoRussian threat, Poland introduces mandatory gun learning to schools
Periskopi(a year ago)
(a year ago)Poland has presented mandatory education lessons for children in schools, including shooting training and first basic assistance. Most countries want their children to be as far away from weapons as possible. Not Poland. Facing the nearness of Russia's continued invasion of neighboring Ukraine and fear [...]
Most countries want their children to be as far away from weapons as possible. Not Poland.
In the face of Russia's continued invasion of neighbouring Ukraine and growing fear of Moscow's threats to its territory, the Polish government has presented mandatory firearm training for children in elementary and high schools.
Children are now taking part in gun training sessions designed to give them “shooting capacity” and to learn how to deal with war-related threats and tactical rescue bases”.
Curricla includes lessons on how to assemble and dismantle a weapon and how to improve the accuracy of the goal by firing at a target. To protect students, lessons developed in their own school gyms use laser weapons instead of living ammunition.
Entitled Security Education, the subject is mandatory in eighth grade elementary school and the first grade of high school, where children are usually between 14 and 16.
It lasts no more than an hour a week and educational objectives include state security, rescue activities in situations of extraordinary threats such as mass accidents and disasters include first basic assistance and health education.
As for the shooting training, “in elementary schools, requirements include theoretical preparation for safe weapons treatment,” explained Poland's education ministry in an email to Euronews.
“In high schools, basic firing training with a practical component will be carried out using safe means for firing exercises, such as firearms, pneumatic weapons, replicas of fire weapons (ASG) or virtual fire/lazer”, the ministry added.
Compulsory Training
Poland has about 18,000 schools, which are all in the process of implementing this laser-based training technology.
Some already offered the training: the first regulations changing the basic curriculum in the field of security education went into effect on September 1, 2022. Until then, the lessons were fascinating.
Now, training will be mandatory this school year, with those schools placed in circles with access to firearms, pneumatic weapons, ASG and laser ranges that implemented it in 2022.
The subject's new curriculum “] includes the following topics from the area of defence education: reaction to the threat of war (i.e., survival, including housing sites); principles of first aid in case of threats involving conventional weapons”, the Polish authorities said.
Furthermore, “for primary schools, requirements include recognition of local areas, cyber security in military dimension, preparation for shooting exercises; and for secondary schools, children need to know how to respond to a threat of war, cyber security in military dimension and participate in shooting training. ”
The changes, prepared in co-operation with the ministry of national defence, respond to the increased “threat to state security from the 2022 war in Ukraine” and the emergency “need to meet” teaching content related to state protection.
The initiative, motivated by a growing fear of Russia's aggression, is not surprising, since gun ownership is widespread and accepted in Poland.
The country allows citizens to own modern firearms according to strict rules: applicants must be at least 21, undergo a psychological assessment and demonstrate a legitimate need for a weapon, such as hunting, sports shooting, or self-defense.
They also need to undergo a historical check, which includes a review of criminal and mental health data. Furthermore, gun owners are required to perform a weapons training course. /euronews. al
