Events

Lukashenko urges tackling long-standing issues of Belarus’ education

MINSK, 29 August (BelTA) – Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko believes it is high time to come to grips with the long-standing problems of Belarus’ education system. The President made this statement as he met with Belarusian pedagogues on 29 August.

Alexander Lukashenko called on teachers to give a detailed and comprehensive consideration to the most pressing issues, as well as objectives and development prospects of the national education amidst a highly complicated situation around the world. “Education is among the major aspirations of people, an indicator of the country’s development level, a sensitive barometer of the intellectual potential of our nation. Therefore, we pay much attention to all the aspects and trends of the educational process. We are constantly seeking to streamline it and find efficient solutions,” the head of state said.

The President noted that the recent years shaped the development strategy of the national education that has proved generally efficient. In his words, the UN experts noted that Belarus is among the global leaders in terms of educational attainments, including adult literacy and the number of students. “However, we should guard against complacency,” Alexander Lukashenko said.

“The government invests a lot into the development of the national secondary, vocational and higher education. But do the investments pay off? Is there an equal access to high-quality education for rural and urban children, for people from different social classes?” the President asked the attendees.

Besides, Alexander Lukashenko touched upon discipline and order issues in educational institutions, and the safety of children at school. The President wanted to know when the demand for pre-school facilities will be finally met, whether the school curriculum was revised without putting additional stress on children, whether red tape and unnecessary paperwork was eliminated.

Alexander Lukashenko noted that Belarus is among the few CIS member states to have preserved the vocational education system. “However, vocational education keeps losing its appeal year to year. The training of qualified personnel is impeded by the lack of modern material infrastructure and insufficient links with potential employees. What will be done during the next academic year to address these issues?” the President asked.

A large block of questions dealt with today’s state of the higher learning system. According to the President, sometimes very weak students get enrolled at universities, while university graduates are often not ready to work at modern enterprises or simply are not needed. “What is being done to optimize the structure and amount of enrollment? Are you working on my instructions to reduce the training period and make curriculums more practice-oriented?” the head of state asked.

Another area of concern is the upbringing of children. “Who wins in the battle for hearts and minds of children: parents, teachers or questionable “friends” and political villains involving the youth into their shady undertakings? How can we prevent children and teenagers from taking up alcohol, drugs or cigarettes?” the President asked those in attendance. Besides, the head of state is going to talk about a personality of modern educators, the requirements they have to meet and the way they understand their responsibilities.

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