Primary school students will learn weapons safety and how to handle weapons while secondary school students will learn how to shoot and shooting safety. They will use ball guns, air guns, replicas of small arms, virtual and laser ranges. The weaponry classes are mandatory for all students, many of whom say it's a good idea. One high school student said "it feels good to hit the target" while another said "it's a good idea. Life is scary these days, so you have to be prepared for anything."
The regulation was signed in 2022 by Education and Science Przemyslaw Czarnek. The nation, a member of NATO, has been watching as its neighbor Ukraine has been invaded by Russia and has been fighting for its autonomy ever since. That invasion, in February 2022, has disrupted the region. Students at 18,000 schools in Poland will get the firearms education and receive the equipment necessary for the training.
Parents, too, have spoken out in favor of the regulation, saying that it will aid students in the even that they have to defend Poland. It also instills a sense of patriotism, one mother said. The regulation had a two year lead-up period to prepare for the training and goes into effect during the 2024-25 school year.
