Polish schools and kindergartens get instructions for air threats; in Belarusian ones, war is not discussed

Poland's Ministry of National Education, together with the Ministry of the Interior and Administration, has announced stepped-up preparation of schools for emergencies: headteachers of schools and kindergartens have received instructions on how to act in the event of an air threat, organise shelter for children and ensure their safety. In some kindergartens, parents have been asked to pack emergency kits for their children — a snack, water and hygiene products.

Meanwhile, Belarus held a combat readiness check of its armed forces, and Alexander Lukashenko ordered the development of a people's militia. The outlet MOST asked parents from towns bordering Poland what is said about this in Belarusian schools: according to them, teachers in neither schools nor kindergartens talk about a possible war — “nobody talks about bomb shelters or about what to do during an attack”.

At the same time, the patriotic agenda begins early: in one kindergarten, children are lined up every morning before breakfast to sing the anthem, and parents are asked in chats to teach it at home. The mother of an eleventh-grader said that class meetings mostly cover schoolwork, while the topic of war “is not touched on — it is slippery and dangerous”.