Students will be taught first aid and basic safety
Ukrainian educational institutions have approved a new course titled “Fundamentals of National Resistance,” which will be taken by undergraduate students and some students in medical and related fields. The course combines basic knowledge of security, first aid, tactics, and digital resilience.
The Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine has approved a standard curriculum for the course “Fundamentals of National Resistance,” which will become a mandatory part of the curriculum for undergraduate students, as well as for students in certain medical, pharmaceutical, and veterinary programs. The course is also being introduced separately for students in full-time and dual-track pre-higher vocational education programs.
According to the Ministry of Education and Science, the main goal of the course is to equip students with a basic readiness to act in crisis situations and under extraordinary threats, as well as to develop skills that may be necessary for personal and collective safety. As part of the course, students will study the basics of first aid, mine safety rules, basic tactical maneuvers, terrain navigation, and communications. A separate module is dedicated to digital security, psychological resilience, and countering information influence that may arise during crises.
The program also includes training in the handling of small arms and the basics of safe firing procedures, while the practical component involves training on simulators, in classrooms, and at specially equipped training grounds or ranges. The total course load will be 5 ECTS credits, equivalent to 150 hours of instruction, with some hours allocated to theory, some to practical training, and others to independent student work.
Practical sessions are planned to be held both at educational institutions using training equipment and at outdoor sites or specialized training grounds, depending on the topic and training conditions. Separately, provisions have been made to adapt the course for students whose religious beliefs prohibit them from using weapons—in such cases, they will acquire alternative security competencies or study other modules of the course.
The ministry emphasizes that the course is not only practical but also serves as general education, aimed at fostering resilience, basic safety awareness, and readiness to act in challenging conditions. This information comes from the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine.
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