The Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine is preparing to introduce a new model curriculum called "Defense of Ukraine" for students in grades 10-11 of general secondary education. This program is defined as a key element of a comprehensive renewal of the educational process aimed at forming national identity and skills for protecting one's own life among Ukrainian youth.
The program must receive the "Recommended" stamp based on the results of the examination and a corresponding order for approval from the Ministry of Education and Science.
The updated draft of the "Defense of Ukraine" program reflects the realities and challenges facing our state, and was developed taking into account the experience and recommendations of leading experts in the field of defense, public organizations, and educators.
Key features and content of the program project:
The program design provides a single content for all students, regardless of gender, which promotes equal opportunities in acquiring important skills. The subject content covers a wide range of topics relevant to understanding the modern world, including innovative technologies, information security, and home medical care.
“Today, our task is to prepare young people for the challenges of the modern world, which is rapidly changing. We strive to develop critical thinking, the ability to adapt and react in teenagers. The updated curriculum of the subject “Defense of Ukraine” is aimed at forming important life skills: from providing first aid to understanding modern technologies. We pay special attention to the development of civic consciousness and a system of values that will help our children become responsible members of society. This subject is about opportunities. About how to be prepared for different life situations, help yourself and others, how to be an active citizen of your country ,” notes Oksen Lisovyi , Minister of Education and Science of Ukraine.
In grade 10, students will study the basics of national security and defense of Ukraine, get acquainted with the principles of management and planning, and study weapons and military equipment. Significant attention is paid to practical skills: terrain orientation, the basics of engineering fortification, and rifle training.
The 11th grade program focuses on the development of military technologies, the features of information security, and deepening knowledge of first aid. An important aspect is the study of methods for protecting the civilian population in crisis conditions, the capabilities and methods of defending Ukraine.
The content of each module was formed based on consultations and discussions with experts and dozens of organizations such as Victory Drones, the NGO "Military School "Boryviter", the Foundation "Solomyanski Kotiki", the All-Ukrainian Resuscitation Council, the OSINT agency "Molfar", the Democratic School "Maybutni", etc.
Innovative approaches to teaching the updated subject:
- Updated program with an emphasis on practical skills.
- A training day once a month to delve deeper into the material and more effectively practice practical skills. For this purpose, specially equipped centers are created where students can practice the acquired knowledge on new technical equipment.
- Modern equipment - the centers will be equipped with computer simulators for controlling drones, interactive laser shooting simulators, and tools for learning the rules of first aid.
- Teacher training - over 100 trainers have already been trained and will be able to transfer knowledge to teachers from the regions, improving their qualifications. This will allow them to effectively teach the new curriculum and apply modern pedagogical approaches.
The key focus of the project is on practical training. Each module involves learning and practicing specific skills in drone control, information security, navigation, open source intelligence (OSINT), stress and psychological resilience.
To consolidate the development of practical skills and abilities, it is mandatory to conduct field training sessions or training classes. During the implementation of the program, it is possible to use such forms of educational activity as educational excursions, projects, games, etc.
