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Georgia plans military training in schools

13 January 2010 16:01 (UTC +04:00)

Baku. Ziya Agazade â€“ APA. Georgia said on Wednesday it would introduce military training in schools, a throwback to Soviet-era defence classes following its crushing military defeat by Russia in August 2008.

According to APA quoting the Defence Ministry announcement and Georgian President Mikheil Saakashviliâ€™s statement on Tuesday in which he said military education in schools had been abolished in Georgia too hastily after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.

Defence Minister Bacho Akhalaia, 29, said military training would be introduced initially in senior classes in the next academic year, before being expanded to other age groups. Children will study the basic principles of military training, the structure of the armed forces and will have the chance "to master the use of different weapons," he said.

"This is in order to give younger generations the chance to understand the importance of the military forces for the country, the purpose of military forces in the security of the country, and the duty of each citizen in this direction."

Georgia’s U.S.-trained military was routed in a five-day war with Russia when Moscow crushed a Georgian assault on the breakaway region of South Ossetia, ending in a chaotic Georgian retreat from Russian tanks that advanced deep into Georgia. (Editing by Matthew Jones)