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Vladimir Pozner is against Patriotic Education �From Above�


The Russian government approved a patriotic education program for youth. The program�s period ends in 2010. As NEWSru.com confirmed, this is the second document of this kind in present-day Russia. The first one was for the period 2001-2005.

In the framework of this program, from the year 2006 the Ministry of Finance is entrusted to include resources in the budget for the realization of this patriotic plan � about 500 million rubles, or 18 million dollars, for 5 years. The money will be used for �films, festivals, competitions, seminars, exhibitions, development of teaching programs (including computer classes), and information on state symbols and the Russian hymn�. As �Ekho Moskvy� (Echo of Moscow) stresses, the authorities plan to get cultural activists and artists to take part in the realization of this program. They want to teach everybody, from children to retirees, although the youth are the main goal. In order to evaluate the program two indicator groups have been developed, one to evaluate moral issues and one to evaluate quality.

Among the moral-spiritual indicators there are included increase in tolerance, decrease in ideological opposition, and simplification of the unity and friendship of nationalities. In the organs of the federal executive power, Councils for Patriotic Education are going to be founded for the realization of the program. The same will happen on the federal level.

It is necessary to teach people patriotism, but with totally different methods. The president of the Russian Television Academy, Vladimir Pozner, thinks, that it is impossible to do this per state order. As he told on the ether of �Ekho Moskvy�, this state program is just one of the usual senseless ways to spend money.

The leader of the Democratic Union, Valeriya Novodvorskaya, suggests that programs for patriotic education only show up in unfortunate countries whose citizens often save themselves by fleeing to another country...

[22.07.2005]

Source: vsluh.ru

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