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I came across an interesting video found on Facebook. It claims to be high school children in Russia working within a high school course. The interesting thing is that the children are assembling and disassembling an assault rifle. I have my doubts that it's a normal high school course. I seem to have found the original video on YouTube. It sounds like Russian that they are speaking, but other than that there's no evidence of the claim.

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    I did not watch the video full, and I was not able to listen to it. However, the youtube video caption says that these are "The "Patriot" competition among the students of 9-10 grade". For me (as a Russian) this seems very probable, i.e. I can easily imagine some competitions in something like of 'warfare knowledge' that may include assembling/disassembling a rifle. I can even imagine a real school teaching this as a part of some special, most probably non-mandatory, course. But definitely this is not a "core education". – Petr Oct 31 '16 at 18:04
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    Assault rifle courses are available to high schoolers in the US as well: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/may/14/youth-summer-camp-guns-practical-shooting-assault-rifle-teens. I don't think this would be part of any school's curriculum, but it *is* a course for high schoolers. – called2voyage Oct 31 '16 at 18:07
  • This looks like a drill in one of the patriot summer camps in Russia. I've seen a German short report on those camps recently. https://www.zdf.de/politik/auslandsjournal/russlands-patriotische-ferienlager-102.html. I cannot prove that it's not part of the high school curriculum, but strongly doubt it. – daraos Oct 31 '16 at 18:18
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    I can't answer for 2016. But when I was in school in USSR, assembling and disassembling AK was indeed part of 100% standard curriculum (as well as marksmanship, on the range, but not sure how standard that was), as part of "civil defense" class. – user5341 Nov 02 '16 at 14:05
  • Even though this question has already been answered, I think I can add some historical perspective. Behind the Iron Curtain, the soviet equivalent of the boyscouts, the pioneer organizations, had a badge on civil preparedness (google "always ready badge). Those were given out after taking a civil preparedness class / field exercise that could include anything from weapons training to learning what to do in case of chemical attack. I've heard that those have been re-instituted in some parts of Russia, I imagine the video was taken at on such event. – ventsyv Nov 16 '16 at 05:11

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First of all, yes, it is secondary/high school (common education).

Yes, this video is a very likely record of an actual school lesson (however, there is no clear evidence that it is). Here is another school lesson about AK.

A specific lesson about AK-47 may be included into the course of Principles/basics of personal and social safety which is studied in schools, here is an exemplary course plan saying:

К концу года обучения учащихся должны: З н а т ь: требования воинской дисциплины, обязанности солдата, дневального, обязанности солдата перед построением и в строю, назначение, боевые свойства, общее устройство винтовки , автомата, правила стрельбы из стрелкового оружия, порядок проведения стрельб и требования безопасности при стрельбе. Обязанности солдата в бою, организацию мотострелкового отделения и основы боевых действий. Историю развития оружия массового поражения, сигналы оповещения ГО. Способы измерения расстояний, способы определения сторон горизонта. Правила наложения стерильных повязок, что такое раны и их классификация, правила выполнения процедур п

Translated:

Students are ought to know: requirements of army discipline, obligations of a soldier ...... the tasks, technical qualities, structure of a rifle, automatic rifle, rules of firing a gun, the order of carrying a range practice and safety requirements for firing a gun.

This Google query reveals some lesson resources about AK-47 (I could not find an official recomendation which advises it). There is also a short (few days) military training taking place during last years of education.

Certainly the competitions in assembling AK-47 are not usual part of education but a lesson about AK rifle is.

Sidenote: the gun sample is mechanically safe of course.

Euri Pinhollow
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  • In the USA, "high school" *is* "secondary school". Children typically of the ages 14 to 18 attend secondary school. Is this what you mean? –  Nov 15 '16 at 18:57
  • @fredsbend: yes. I left a clarification because I was not sure. – Euri Pinhollow Nov 15 '16 at 19:04