Schoolkids to study housekeeping in Russia

The lessons will be part of a family studies course starting in the new academic year

A course in family studies for school children, which includes housekeeping, is set to be introduced in Russia, Kommersant newspaper has reported. A study plan will soon be distributed to schools across the country.

The proposal to include family studies in the school education program was first put forward last year by the State Duma Family Committee, in line with the government’s push to promote traditional values. In April, Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova confirmed that Family Studies would be introduced as part of extracurricular classes for high-school children from September.

The study plan consists of five sections, according to Irina Uskova, a representative of the state-run Institute for Education Development Strategy, the body tasked with developing the course. She presented the plan at a round table at the Civic Chamber, a civil society institution that has consultative powers, Kommersant wrote.

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The first section is titled “Man, Family and Society,” and focuses on the purpose of the family, the outlet cited Uskova as saying. The second section, “My relatives, so similar and so different,” looks at the history of the family and explores relationships within a family, such as ties between grandchildren and grandparents. Other sections detail the basics of housekeeping, good family atmosphere, and family law.

Earlier this month, Russian President Vladimir Putin said children and family values were of the utmost importance for both society and government. In February, he called on all levels of government, civil society, and religious institutions to work together to make large families the social norm.

READ MORE: Russia facing ‘terrible demographic hole’ — deputy PM

The government’s push to promote family values comes as the birth rate in Russia has been steadily falling since 2014, and plunged to its lowest level since the turn of the century in 2023. According to a recent study, the trend could translate into a significant decline in the population and lead to various problems for the economy.