Russian authorities are using the education system to spread state ideology, justify the war against Ukraine and suppress independent thinking among students, according to Amnesty International.
In its report “Only Official Sources: Indoctrination in Russia’s Education System,” the organization analyzes educational materials, official documents and practices in Russian schools.
Amnesty says the centralized curriculum is being used to promote the government’s version of political events and the war, while children’s access to alternative sources of information is being restricted. The organization also documents cases of students’ statements being monitored and pressure being applied over disagreement with the official position.
The study covers not only Russia but also Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine, where Amnesty says the Russian education system is being used to indoctrinate children.
Amnesty examines these practices through the rights to education, freedom of expression and access to information and characterizes their overall effect as indoctrination. Potok presents that characterization with attribution to the human rights organization. The full Amnesty International report is available online.