Sweden adds defence training to upper secondary schools

Starting this autumn, all first-year high school students will be taught total defence skills in Sweden.

The course is part of the new curriculum for social studies, as confirmed by the Swedish Armed Forces, who view the inclusion of total defence knowledge as mandatory in upper secondary schools as a positive development, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media. 

In Sweden, approximately 7 to 8 million people are obligated to participate in total defence, but only four out of ten individuals know how to respond in a crisis or wartime situation. 

Robert Trupp, the project leader at the Swedish Armed Forces, emphasised the importance of basic education to prepare students for their professional roles within total defence. The course lasts two hours and includes, among other elements, an interactive educational game focused on total defense. The game is designed around the principle that "solidarity is key, and individualism does not lead to success," as stated in a press release.

"The goal of the education is to create insight, confidence, and initiative among our students so that they know how to act in crisis and ultimately war", says Trupp.

The course also includes topics on international law and the role of NATO.

By Naila Huseynova