Education or indoctrination? The misuse and abuse of history education as violation of children’s rights during the Russia-Ukraine war

Project objective

The project aims to explore how history education is misused and abused during the current Russia-Ukraine war (2014-…). Since the very beginning of the armed confrontation, both parties have in parallel engaged in the so-called memory war, with contradictory historical narratives being instrumentalised for advancing over the adversary. The role of history is primary in this regard, as both parties are actively utilising it in order to mobilise their citizens in the ongoing conflict, and consequently, pertinent historical narratives are being promoted within respective populations. These efforts are especially visible in regard to educational institutions, which in both states are subject to strict government control and thereby are perfect vehicles for disseminating government-prescribed versions of history, which includes the preferred narratives about the past. Thus, history education in the ‘right’ spirit becomes an essential element in both states, and is the main focus of present research, in light of states’ obligations under international human rights law.

Research

In my research, I aim to explore how exactly education is misused and abused in the context of Russia-Ukraine war and prove that such practices may be in violation of relevant human rights agreements.

Significance for law-making and application 

My work proposes to focus on the needs and best interests of each and every individual child and see whether their individual rights are being respected within educational institutions, including within history teaching. Besides the academic community, the proposed project and its developed conception of ‘mnemonic indoctrination’ can also be relevant for practitioners, such as national actors formulating history curriculum for educational institutions. In particular, the project’s outcomes can also be used by UN treaty bodies, which conduct periodic reviews of states’ compliance with relevant obligations under the UN human rights treaties in evaluating whether history teaching is conforming to human rights standards in other undemocratic settings.