Students staged a scene depicting the beating of a soldier: why do children harbor resentment towards the military enlistment office, and who should be held accountable?

At School No. 309 in Kyiv, during a festive concert, a skit was performed in which a civilian assaulted a man in military uniform. According to Vitaliy Sarantsev, head of the communications department of the Ground Forces Command, "this is a symptom of a serious problem."

Scandal at a Kyiv school: what is known

During the performance, a man in military uniform came on stage holding a folder. A civilian approached him and knocked the serviceman down with a single blow. Sarantsev expressed confusion about how mobilization—a necessary step for the country's survival—has become a subject of ridicule at school events. He believes that adults are to blame for perpetuating the narrative about the "criminal" Territorial Defense Centers (TDC).

"War does not forgive mistakes, and one of the biggest is the substitution of concepts. If Ukrainian children see a Ukrainian soldier as an enemy, and 'taking him down' as an act of heroism, then we all deserve a big fat 'two' (fail). But war does not issue 'twos'," said Sarantsev.

The scandal at the Kyiv school was immediately addressed by the Darnytsia District State Administration, which announced that an investigation will be conducted. Soon after, Minister of Education and Science Oksen Lisovyi reacted, calling the incident shameful.

"The video in which students from a Kyiv school enact a scene that displays blatant contempt for the 'military' is shameful and unacceptable in the third year of a full-scale invasion and the 11th year of war. I personally find it outrageous that none of those involved in preparing and participating in this scene felt any resistance," Lisovyi stated.

He noted that he had a personal phone conversation with the school principal, demanding a service investigation and collecting explanations from all those involved. Additionally, juvenile police in Kyiv have launched an investigation into the student performance.

On the evening of February 17, the director of the educational institution, Olga Tymoshenko, responded to the scandal. She apologized to everyone who "was hurt or offended" by the skit. According to her, a service investigation has already been conducted, explanations have been collected from all involved, and the relevant authorities have been informed.

She explained that the skit in which the soldier was assaulted was not part of the planned festive program, and the supervision of the teachers over the children's actions "was insufficient."

"The students who created the skit did not realize the deeper consequences of such an act, considering it a joke without negative context," she said.

The director added that, due to the scandal at the Kyiv school, "educational activities" are already planned—conversations with military personnel and lessons on media literacy. Furthermore, there will be increased oversight of the organization and conduct of educational activities at the institution.

On February 18, it became known that the teacher who organized the concert had submitted her resignation. She claimed she allegedly did not know that one of the performances would end with a scene of assaulting a soldier. However, the director suspects that the organizing teacher was aware of the performance, as the students had rehearsed several endings for the skit. Today, TDC representatives will visit the children due to the scandal at the Kyiv school, Tymoshenko noted.

Why do children hate the TDC?

"Of course, there are already established perceptions throughout society, and probably some disdain for the TDC is transmitted through adults," said Yelena Parfenova.

She expressed surprise at society's reaction, where everyone focuses solely on the assault of the soldier while she questions whether it is acceptable to display a scene of assault against a person at a celebration with the inscription "Love is."

"It seems that when we speak of the military, it outrages everyone, but if it were a doctor or if the scene were about a shopkeeper, would it be perceived as normal? The problem is that we tolerate violence and assault, and this is expressed through such forms. I was surprised by the laughter and merriment during this performance. And I was astonished that not a single adult stopped this act. There are many moments that evoke not just outrage but immense surprise," she explained.

Psychologist Yekaterina Goltsberg believes that children may hate the TDC due to their parents who transmit this narrative to them.

Parfenova considers these incidents as warning signs that society must reflect upon and draw conclusions from. To prevent similar incidents, she believes meetings between students and military personnel who have been directly at the front should be conducted. These should be open conversations about what is happening 500 kilometers from Kyiv, explaining what war is and what men and women endure.

She stated that real stories are the most impactful for youth, resulting in children perceiving military duty through "different lenses."

Psychologist Goltsberg emphasizes the importance of immediate response in such cases rather than waiting for "society to react." She noted that during the event, someone from the teaching staff should have stood up and said: "Children, this is wrong, abnormal; we are in a state of war and must know who our enemy is—the Russians, not the TDC."

According to her, it is vital to explain the role of the TDC, that it is an authority with its own powers, and clarify why such a skit is unacceptable.

"But communication must happen immediately, not be delayed. These adjustments should come from the teachers themselves. If they do not have these adjustments and they approve of such behavior, or if the parents do, how can the children think differently? Children reflect society," the psychologist noted.

Who should be punished for the skit at School No. 309?

Yelena Parfenova pointed out that the director is responsible for everything that happens in the educational institution. She believes that the director of School No. 309 may receive a reprimand, and her contract is unlikely to be renewed thereafter.

"That would be a logical outcome of the situation. However, it will not change the existing circumstances. Today we witnessed this at School No. 309; what else have we not seen, and is there even a discussion in the school about the war? Or are we only fixing national-patriotic education in the curricula, while in reality, it means nothing? Therefore, we need to rethink all our actions over the past 3-5 years and consider why this happened, and likely change our approach to national-patriotic education," she concluded.

She mentioned that a service investigation might be conducted regarding the teacher's actions, potentially leading to disciplinary action in the form of dismissal.

"But first, it is necessary to prove the teacher's intent and direct involvement to apply paragraph 3 of Article 41 of the Labor Code of Ukraine (termination of an employment contract at the employer's initiative with an employee performing educational functions in cases of committing an immoral act incompatible with the continuation of this work) or violations of legislation by educational and scientific-pedagogical workers, participation in anti-state activities, etc.," she explained.

Swistula noted that students will not face consequences due to the scandal at the Kyiv school, considering their age, the circumstances of the case, and the absence of an offense:

• part 1 of Article 173 of the Code of Ukraine on Administrative Offenses (minor hooliganism) can be applied in cases where contempt for the military occurs in the form of public insult or indecent behavior, but the age threshold is only from 16 years;
• part 1 of Article 296 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (hooliganism) applies from 14 years, but it must be proven that there was audacity and exceptional cynicism;
• Article 435-1 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (insulting the honor and dignity of a serviceman) will not apply to schoolchildren.

In turn, Yekaterina Goltsberg believes that exemplary punishments would not be appropriate. Instead, it is crucial to understand what happened and analyze the situation.

Recall that at the end of January, it became known that children at a school in Kyiv played "TDC". As a result, one of the students performed a chokehold on another and nearly broke his nose.

On November 21, 2024, during a physics lesson, a lab assistant at Lviv School No. 30 spoke rudely to the children and threatened to "send them to the front." He was dismissed in December.