Ukraine war: Putin's propaganda reaches schools in Russia

Created: 03/08/2022, 15:49

By: Samira Mueller

Vladimir Putin visiting a school in Vladivostock in 2011. During the Ukraine war, Russia's president sent propaganda into his country's schools.

© Imago Images

In Russia, teachers are said to be spreading disinformation about Ukraine.

At school they should explain that Russia is not at war.

Moscow – Russia's attack on Ukraine is being reported around the world.

In Russia*, on the other hand, the government is trying to spread disinformation about the war - now in schools too.

The Russian Ministry of Education has provided teachers in schools with information for a social studies lesson.

The text, which the teachers are supposed to read to the students, is more about disinformation about the Ukraine conflict*, as Human Rights Watch reported.

Afterwards, the children should be shown a video by Russia's President Vladimir Putin*.

In the Ukraine conflict, Putin's propaganda is also reaching schools in Russia: denying the war

Russian teachers should explain to their students that Russia invaded Ukraine* because “our politics is freedom, freedom of choice for everyone to independently determine their own future and the future of their children”.

Therefore, teachers should tell their students that Russia is not at war, Human Rights Watch reported.

Instead, they are said to be talking about a "special peacekeeping operation" to stop a "genocidal nightmare" against millions of ethnic Russians and Russian-speakers in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions.

Russia did "everything possible to resolve the situation through peaceful, political means."

Ukraine war: Putin's propaganda is now reaching schools in Russia

Despite the fact that over a million Ukrainians have already fled the country as refugees, hundreds of civilians have been killed and evidence of potential war crimes is mounting, Putin uses his propaganda to try to twist the facts.

According to United Nations conventions, education should help teach children to “recognize misinformation and other forms of biased or incorrect content.”

But not only schools are affected by Putin's propaganda.

Independent media outlets have also been shut down by the Russian government*, such as TV Rain and the Echo of Moscow radio station.

The reason for this was their coverage of the war in Ukraine.

Putin's propaganda reaches schools in Russia: teachers are not allowed to talk about the war in Ukraine

If teachers speak out against the war, they could face dismissal, Human Rights Watch reported.

In addition, the Russian parliament unanimously approved a bill that would punish criticism that "discredits" the Russian armed forces and the dissemination of "false information" about the Ukraine war with up to 15 years in prison.

(Samira Müller)