Army Training for Georgia Schoolchildren

Jan. 14, 2010

TBILISI, Georgia — Georgia’s Defense Ministry said Wednesday that it would introduce military training in schools, a throwback to Soviet-era defense classes.

The announcement followed comments by President Mikheil Saakashvili on Tuesday in which he said military education in schools had been abolished in Georgia too hastily after the Soviet collapse.

“As we have already seen, anything can happen, and Georgia and Georgians should be able to defend at least their village, their town or their district,” Saakashvili said, Civil.ge reported.

Defense Minister Bacho Akhalaia said military training would be introduced initially in senior classes in the next academic year, before being expanded to other age groups.

(Reuters)

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