In Belarus, the militarization of children has expanded beyond schools and military-patriotic clubs to include preschool-aged children. Recent developments indicate an increasing state-driven effort to instill militaristic values from an early age, with military units taking direct “patronage” over kindergartens, organizing military-themed events, and providing children with military uniforms and exposure to weapons.

The case of kindergarten No. 5 in Ostrovets, where preschoolers became honorary guests at a military unit’s open day, highlights the systematic romanticization of war and military service. This report analyzes the methods, risks, and human rights violations associated with this growing trend in Belarus.

1. Military Patronage Over Kindergartens

One of the most concerning aspects of child militarization in Belarus is the direct involvement of military units in preschool education. In 2024, a Belarusian military unit took “patronage” over a kindergarten in Ostrovets, marking an institutionalized partnership between the military and early childhood education.

Key Aspects of Military Patronage

• Kindergarten children participate in military-themed activities, including visits to military bases, interactions with armed personnel, and exposure to weapons.
• Kindergarten staff actively promote military culture, with military officers regularly visiting to conduct lessons on “patriotism” and national defense.
• Military-style uniforms were tailored for children using non-budgetary funds to strengthen ties between the preschool and the military unit.
• Children were encouraged to handle real weapons, including assault rifles and grenade launchers, during a military open day.

The military unit’s active role in shaping preschool education suggests a structured effort to normalize military service and warfare from the earliest stages of development.

2. “Patriotic Education” Through Militarization

The justification for such military involvement in kindergartens is framed within the state ideology of “patriotic education.” However, this approach prioritizes exposure to weapons and military culture over traditional child development activities.

How Militarization is Integrated into Early Childhood Education

• Militaristic Play and Symbolism: Children are taught military songs, slogans, and drills as part of everyday kindergarten activities.
• Weapons as Play Objects: Military events allow children to physically interact with firearms, presenting them as exciting objects rather than dangerous tools.
• Early Role Indoctrination: Some children have expressed aspirations to join the military after these experiences, raising concerns about the impact of early militarization on career choices and worldviews.
• Family and Teacher Involvement: Parents and educators are encouraged to participate in joint activities with military personnel, further normalizing military engagement in child-rearing.

By integrating military elements into early education, the state ensures that militarization becomes a natural and unquestioned part of a child’s upbringing.

3. Psychological and Ethical Concerns

Military indoctrination at an early age raises serious psychological and ethical concerns. Experts emphasize that exposing children to violence-related imagery, weapons, and military discipline can have long-term developmental consequences.

Key Psychological Risks

• Normalization of Violence: By introducing weapons as “exciting objects,” children may develop a desensitized attitude toward violence and armed conflict.
• Blurring the Line Between Play and War: Young children are unable to distinguish between symbolic play and real-world violence, increasing the risk of military aggression being perceived as justified and heroic.
• Early Career Manipulation: Encouraging preschoolers to view military service as their future path eliminates their ability to make independent career choices based on personal interests.
• Suppression of Critical Thinking: State-led patriotic education discourages questioning authority, dissent, or alternative perspectives on military service and war.

This early militarization violates a child’s right to a peaceful upbringing and raises ethical concerns about state manipulation of childhood development for ideological purposes.

4. Human Rights Violations and Breach of International Law

The militarization of preschoolers in Belarus directly contradicts international human rights standards and exposes children to ideological manipulation and potential future exploitation.

International Child’s Human Rights Violations

1. Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC)
   • Article 6 – Right to life: Promoting military culture and glorifying war undermines a child’s fundamental right to peace and security.
   • Article 19 – Protection from violence: Introducing children to military discipline and firearms at an early age violates protections against psychological harm.
   • Article 29 – Education must foster peace, tolerance, and non-violence: The militarization of children directly contradicts international standards for peace-oriented education.
2. International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR)
   • Article 18 – Freedom of thought: Forcing children into state-controlled military education restricts independent thought and the ability to form personal opinions on war and peace.
   • Article 8 – Prohibition of forced or compulsory labor: Encouraging young children to “choose” military service at an early age could be a form of state coercion into future conscription.
3. Optional Protocol to the CRC on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict
   • Belarus is bound by this treaty, which prohibits the recruitment or military indoctrination of children under 18.

By integrating military influence into preschool education, the Belarusian government is violating multiple human rights obligations and actively undermining international commitments to child protection.

5. Recommendations to the Belarusian Government

To ensure compliance with international human rights obligations, the Government of Belarus must take immediate steps to eliminate military involvement in preschool education and promote non-militarized childhood development.

1. 1. End Military Patronage Over Kindergartens

• • Terminate all formal agreements between military units and preschool institutions.
  • Prohibit the distribution of military uniforms, weapons exposure, and combat training for young children.

1. 2. Establish a Clear Separation Between Early Education and Military Affairs

• • Ensure that kindergarten education focuses on child development, creativity, and critical thinking, rather than military indoctrination.
  • Remove mandatory “patriotic education” elements that include exposure to weapons and armed personnel.

1. 3. Reform State Policy on “Patriotic Education”

• • Ensure that national pride and civic education emphasize peace, diplomacy, and human rights, rather than military engagement.
  • Introduce independent oversight to monitor ideological content in preschool and school curricula.

1. 4. Prohibit the Exposure of Children to Firearms and Military Equipment

• • Enforce legal restrictions on minors handling real or replica weapons in educational institutions.
  • Ban military exhibitions that involve children interacting with firearms, military machinery, or combat drills.

1. 5. Engage with UN Human Rights Mechanisms

• • Allow independent inspections by UN bodies to ensure Belarus complies with its obligations under the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
  • Cooperate with international organizations to shift education policies toward peace-oriented learning.

Conclusion

The militarization of preschoolers in Belarus represents a severe violation of child rights and a dangerous state policy that promotes war glorification from an early age. By actively involving the military in kindergartens, exposing children to weapons, and encouraging military aspirations at an early stage, the government erodes fundamental human rights protections and manipulates childhood development for ideological gain.

Belarus must take immediate steps to end the militarization of children, align its policies with international human rights standards, and ensure that education remains a tool for peace, not war indoctrination.

 

 

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