MILITARISING THE YOUNG?: Hermanus schoolboy in Russian military uniform raises alarm

A social media post of a South African schoolboy in Russia wearing a Russian military uniform has raised Ukrainian alarm that Moscow is militarising and indoctrinating young South Africans.The Grade 12 schoolboy from Hermanus High School won a prestigious photographic competition, cosponsored by the Russian presidential fund, in Chelyabinsk, about 1,500km southeast of Moscow.A photo that was part of a social media post by Hermanus High School last week that offended the Ukrainian community. It shows a display including the depiction of ‘the Ukrainian flag in a derogatory manner’ in a museum in Chelyabinsk, Russia, which is dedicated to Russia's ‘Special Military Operation’ — a euphemism for its invasion of Ukraine. (Photo: Supplied) Last week, the school posted on Facebook and Instagram a photo of the boy receiving the award and other photos of him, including one of him wearing a Russian military uniform and another showing a Ukrainian flag and drones, apparently captured during Russia’s ongoing war against its neighbour.A parent at the school alerted the Ukrainian Association of South Africa (Uaza) which posted a comment on the school’s post, protesting about Russia’s “militarisation and indoctrination” of South African schoolchildren. The school immediately deleted its post.The photos of the boy had been taken in the museum in Chelyabinsk, dedicated to providing information about what Russian President Vladimir Putin insists Russians call the country’s “Special Military Operation” – but which the rest of the world calls Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Uaza said the boy is photographed wearing the uniform of the Russian Marines.‘Indoctrination’In a later, open letter to the Department of Basic Education, the association called on the department to issue “guidance advising against participation by South African schoolchildren in programmes that involve travel to Russia until sufficient safeguards are in place to ensure that they are not exposed to military propaganda, militarisation or ideological indoctrination.”Uaza also called on the department to investigate “if Russia’s state-run system of militarisation and ideological indoctrination of children may contribute to the recruitment of South Africans into the Russian armed forces, and assessing any potential risks to South African children participating in such programmes.”It cited the numerous reports recently about Russia recruiting South Africans to join its military to fight Ukraine.“The prominent display of military symbols and imagery in the context of a children’s educational activity raises serious concerns that South African children, together with other children invited to Russia, may have been subjected to militarisation, ideological indoctrination and exposed to hatred of other nations as part of the promotion of Russia’s war against Ukraine,” it said.Uaza said the militarisation and indoctrination of South African schoolchildren was against the principles of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict and article 52 of SA’s Defence Act, which sought to protect children from military harm.It noted that while Russia had been ideologically indoctrinating and militarising Ukrainian children since it first attacked Ukraine in 2014, “the use of a South African child in military imagery associated with the Russian Federation, particularly during an educational activity, suggests that the process of militarisation involves all children who travel to Russia and warrants urgent investigation by the relevant South African authorities.”School ‘immediately takes posts down’Hermanus High School Principal Mike Smuts told Daily Maverick that the school had taken down the offending Facebook and Instagram posts immediately after it saw the Ukrainian Association’s objections, to avoid giving offence.Smuts said the school definitely had not intended to militarise or indoctrinate South African youth.“We actually just wanted to brag a little bit about one of our pupils who managed, from the small town of Hermanus, to end up at a world photographic competition being awarded something.”“Unfortunately, what was meant to be a moment of celebration for the school and for the boy turned out to be completely opposite.”“We should have given it way more thought,” he acknowledged.‘Unfortunate experience’Klaradyn Stemmet, a Hermanus High School teacher who runs the school’s photographic club, said the Russian government had had nothing to do with the schoolboy visiting the military museum or wearing the military uniform.She said the boy had visited the museum with his mother in their free time.“In the museum, someone asked him; ‘Do you know how heavy these uniforms are that these guys have to wear? ‘And he said; ‘No.’ The guy said; ‘Well, actually put it on and then you will experience what some of the soldiers do experience.’ And that is how it came about. So it was unfortunate.”Stemmet said children from all over the world, including the US, Germany, Norway and Turkiye participated in the competition. “It’s not politics at all. It’s got absolutely to do with honing the youth skills and getting them to interact with one another on a cultural level. “She said the boy concerned was highly talented and intended to become a professional photographer.Daily Maverick asked the Department of Basic Education for comment, but it had not replied before time of publication. DM