The theme of the session was National Education: Shaping Integral Individuals and a Responsible Society.
Speaking at the council’s opening, Ms Medvedeva noted that the new subject on the school curriculum – basics of religious culture and secular ethics – will play a part in fulfilling one of the most important missions before society, church and state today, namely, giving children a moral foundation. The results obtained from this experiment in introducing such a subject will much depend on parents and teachers, Ms Medvedeva said.
Religion and secular ethics share the same common foundation of universal moral values, the First Lady stressed.
According to Svetlana Medvedeva, it is particularly important to teach children to treasure their own culture and language, and to promote the ideal in society of strong and friendly families. “We must set personal examples for our children,” the First Lady said, adding that the church and state need to work together on reviving spiritual traditions in the country.
Ms Medvedeva underlined the particular part that schools play in cultivating freethinking minds. “True education is about combining teaching and development, developing and cultivating a child’s personality and spirit,” she said, noting that education should also aim to teach wisdom.
“We need to look today not for the flaws in our young people, but for their qualities. We have talented youth with thinking minds, and I am sure that they can be happy and successful,” Svetlana Medvedeva concluded.
The World Russian People’s Council is an international public organisation and forum aimed at drawing public attention to the pressing issues facing society today. The council was formed in 1993, and under its charter is headed by the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia.