Need to know what to do during a school shooting? Buy the DVD.

Sophie Team Observers — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 15:25:26 +0200

A DVD that teaches students how to act in the event of a shooting is causing quite a stir in the US. Released in late June, the program is already being shown in more than 500 universities.

Shots Fired on Campus was developed in the aftermath of the Virginia Tech massacre. Created by security experts and former FBI agents, the 20 minute DVD teaches college students how to develop a "survival mind-set"; to keep an eye out for "pre-incident indicators" and to "take out the shooter" if they can't run or hide. It also includes a preparation guide for teachers if the worse should happen. Depending on its intended use, the programme costs between $500 and $1500 (€400 - €1100).

But as increasing numbers of universities choose to use the program, students are becoming worried about its implications. Some say it's a "step in the right direction", while others claim that it only teaches students "to be afraid of each other".

The manufacturers are selling the DVD online.

The Orthodox church in Russian schools

Julien — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 17:10:00 +0100

Material collected by our Russian/former-USSR reporter, Maria Antonova

Classes on the fundamentals of Orthodox culture have been introduced in the schools and universities of several Russian regions. They have become an important part of the curriculum- they are mandatory and graded. Representatives of the Orthodox church recognise that during the Soviet period, atheism and materialism led the population away from the Orthodox culture. Now, parts of Russia are using the religion as a means of reinforcing a national identity. However, Russia is a secular country, where at least one quarter of the population is not Orthodox Christian.