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Civil defense education was an integral part of schooling during the communist era and evokes memories for those who attended school in the 70s and 80s. After the revolution in November 1989 this subject was abolished, but many still remember it as part of their childhood. Gas masks, plastic bags on the feet and various drills were a common part of school life.
Memories of civil defense education
All children who went to school during the communist period took civil defense education. Inseparable activities included, for example, putting on gas masks, working with rubber replica grenades or shooting with an air rifle. An important part were also various defense competitions such as „Partyzánský samopal“, where children learned basic orientation in nature, threw rubber grenades and took part in physical activities.
Jan Krucký, born 1971, recalls: „I remember how we threw cricket balls instead of rubber grenades. It seemed to me that the closer it got to 1989, the less the use of rubber replica grenades decreased.“
The drills intended to prepare children for a possible chemical or nuclear attack involved plastic bags and ponchos. When an explosion occurred, children were to lie down with their feet pointing toward the epicenter. That often became the subject of school jokes.
Gas masks as a symbol of civil defense education
Gas masks became one of the most striking symbols of civil defense education. Younger children used masks with a hose, where the filter was hidden in a bag they wore over the shoulder. Older children already had masks without a hose. These masks were available in civil defense stores until November 1989.
History and broader context of civil defense education
Civil defense education was more than just a school duty – it was part of preparation for life in a quasi-military society and operated on the basis of strict discipline. In 1966 the 13th Congress of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia (KSČ) defined the principles of civil defense education, which at first became part of physical education, but was later introduced as a separate subject.
Principles of civil defense education after 1968
After the occupation of Czechoslovakia in 1968 and the subsequent normalization the principles of civil defense education were revised again. In 1971, under the rule of Gustáv Husák, this subject was strengthened in schools. Civil defense education became compulsory for all pupils and students.
Civil defense education in school and society
Civil defense education was meant to prepare children not only physically and morally, but also to teach them to operate combat equipment and to react correctly to crisis situations. Alongside the school, other organizations such as the army, the Pioneer organization or Svazarm were involved in the teaching. The aim was to raise a generation that would be prepared for possible aggression and capable of defending itself.
Although civil defense education disappeared from school curricula after 1989, it remains part of the memories of many people who experienced it as part of their school life.
