“Let’s learn to love our country again”: a bill to teach national defense from 6th grade | LCP – National Assembly

Teaching defense »a tool for national resilience“. This is the stated objective of the bill proposed by Christophe Blanchet, which will be examined during the parliamentary initiative day reserved for the Les Démocrates group, Thursday March 26.

Starting from the observation that “since the suspension of compulsory national service in 1997, a growing proportion of young people are unaware of the principles and actors of national defense“, the rapporteur of the text believes that the context should promote collective awareness. And to cite the example of the Baltic countries, which constantly live with the threat of Russian aggression. “In Estonia, high school students benefit from a compulsory course relating to national defense, structured in 35 sessions of 35 minutes“, indicates Christophe Blanchet, who after reflection and having considered a specific module, instead made the choice of “gateways” between such teaching and so-called traditional subjects.

Establish a culture of national defense at school

Considering that “national defense is everyone’s business“, Christophe Blanchet wishes to anchor this learning in school time. In order to allow each young person to understand the mission of the armies, the conditions of sovereignty and the place of the citizen in the defense strategy, the deputy wishes that, from the 6th grade to the final year, each subject can fully grasp these issues.

“Can we talk about national defense in physics? Obviously, since it was physicists who invented nuclear power. The study of the propulsion speed of missiles, the security of electrical networks, is national defense“, argues the rapporteur to LCP, applying the same demonstration to physical education, history-geography or even foreign languages. A transversal teaching, particularly in-depth in moral and civic education (EMC) courses, which would rely on teachers of National Education assisted occasionally by citizen and operational reservists.

To the question of possible reluctance on the part of the teaching staff, Christophe Blanchet believes that there is no reason for this, as the Education Code already provides for “compulsory education” relating to the “principles and organization of national defense” within secondary establishments.

A provision which is however rarely applied, and if the deputy does not neglect a dimension “ideological“, he also mentions a lack of training which too often leaves teachers in disarray. His text also invites “create levers within establishments to generalize the presence of defense representatives“.

Let’s learn to love our country again. National defense is what must unite us, whatever happens. Christophe Blanchet, deputy for the Democrats of Calvados

It would also be a question, beyond the simple military issue, of making students aware of all the risks inherent in war such as hybrid threats, cyber security issues or even the security of supplies and critical infrastructures. “Teaching national defense is not about telling young people: ‘we are preparing you to go to war’, it is about creating national cohesion behind our soldiers to support them in the event of war.“, specifies Christophe Blanchet.

A way to “make a nation“according to the deputy, in an international environment that is more uncertain every day and while”any opportunity to destabilize us is ammunition that we give to our adversaries“. The text, which was adopted in committee without the votes of the left, should be examined Thursday evening in the hemicycle.