Military instructors, who conducted classes as part of the “Education with the Army” cycle completed in December, admit that the number and item of questions from children and youth have frequently amazed them. This shows how crucial and essential specified pro-defence activities are. Therefore, their organizers are already working on launching the 3rd edition.
"Education with the Army" is simply a defensive education program prepared by the Ministry of Defence and Education. The second edition classes ran from 21 October to 13 December 2024. During classes with military instructors, students of primary and secondary schools learned, among others, the principles of emergency management, learned emergency signals and practiced first aid techniques. Older children besides had the chance to meet military veterans.
Colonel Tomasz Gergelewicz of the Operational Centre of the Minister of National Defence indicates that the top interest among students was the elements of endurance and first aid. “A lot of questions were besides about online security,” says the officer who is the author of the curriculum. – According to our forecasts, the most interesting was everything that students could experience, touch, effort or simply execute – specified as evacuation – he adds. Hence the emphasis on the applicable part of the curriculum. During the lessons, children asked many questions about how to last in hard conditions, how to shelter, where to search help. They besides asked for appropriate behaviour in case they witnessed a communication accident and the victims had to be helped," said Colonel Gergelewicz.
High school students besides had the chance to meet veterans. – They asked about the specificity of the service on a mission abroad and whether it is hard to part with Poland and household for many months – Colonel Gergelewicz explains. Students were curious in the differences between the service in the country and the 1 on the mission.
The officer admits that the number of questions and their level of item frequently amazed the instructors. – This is the generation that thanks to mobile phones has access to unlimited decks of information. They request to be taught how to usage these opportunities wisely – he estimates.
The organizers of the cycle are already planning the 3rd edition of the action. “We are receiving signals that further schools and classes want to join the project, and both the Ministry of National Defence and the Ministry of National Education are ready to proceed “Education with the army”, Colonel Gergelewicz says. Before school recruitment is announced for the next edition, instructors and experts want to summarize the completed cycle, draw conclusions and analyse what can be further improved. “The most crucial goal we all have is to build society’s resilience to threats, especially among children and young people,” the officer points out.
Lessons in pro-defensive education were conducted in primary and secondary schools. Three-year training combined explanation and practice. The students learned, among others, the principles of alerting, evacuation, ways of calling for help, solidified the principles of providing it, but besides learned how to decision safely online and critical analysis of information available on the network.
