Abstract
<jats:p>In the system of higher and secondary education, the issues of military-patriotic education are currently paramount. However, there is still no consensus on the forms and methods of this work. A certain amount of experience is just beginning to emerge. For example, starting in February 2026, secondary educational institutions in the country will introduce a new position: Deputy Director (Head) for Military-Patriotic Education. This innovation is based on a decision by the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation. The regions of the Russian Federation are actively participating in the implementation of this initiative through pilot projects. There is no such initiative in the university system yet. The author believes that this work should be based on the positive experience accumulated by the domestic pedagogical system, both family-based and state-based. To achieve this, it is proposed to introduce a special course called “Fundamentals of Military-Patriotic Education.” For students in higher education institutions, this course should be expanded and divided into two sections, where, in addition to the first section mentioned above, we propose to introduce a second section called “Preparation for Service in the Motherland based on the acquired knowledge and skills in one’s field.” We believe that it is advisable to introduce it in secondary schools in the 9th grade and in the 1st year of higher education. This proposal is based on the fact that students have already reached a certain level of psychological preparation and are ready to accept its basic principles in general, and in universities it needs to be linked to the tasks of mastering skills in accordance with the specialty being studied. This should be a theoretical “manifesto” of readiness to work in the specialty, possessing certain skills of service within the framework of the specialty being acquired, including in military conditions. Society and its individual members must be prepared to sacrifice their own interests for the common good, the independence of their country, even at the cost of their own lives.</jats:p>