Events

Belarus President urges better education quality

MINSK, 28 February (BelTA) – The quality of education should be improved. Education should correspond to the reality. President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko made the statement on 28 February as he approved the appointment of several rectors of Belarusian universities, the press service of the head of state told BelTA.

Addressing the heads of the education institutions, Alexander Lukashenko remarked that there are no glaring problems in Belarusian universities but there are more than enough regular ones.

“We have to finish polishing everything we once started right up to organizational things. I mean the reduction of the education terms, the selection of the disciplines, which are needed. We don’t want students to work using the ‘pass an exam and forget’ principle,” said the head of state.

“I think that we don’t need formal improvement but wise one. We don’t need some departmental approaches, complaints that some professors don’t have enough hours. You have to think about interests of the state,” added the President.

“We know very well what things are excessive, what things have to stay, and what has to be expanded. But reduction is necessary. And the process is now on track,” said the head of state.

Yet Alexander Lukashenko underlined that close attention should be paid to the quality of education. In his words, facts of careless and formal attitude to education are still registered in educational institutions.

The President also drew attention to his requirement to get the education content closer to practical training.

“Practical training is the key thing. Half of the time students, particularly students of agricultural universities, other applied professions, should spend at workstations. For instance, pedagogues should be constantly in school. After 1.5-2 years of training and studies, they should get training in school, in the field, at an enterprise. We want students to be able to feel whether their career choice was the right one as soon as possible. Otherwise, they graduate, get employed, feel the choice was wrong, and go for retraining,” remarked the head of state.

Alexander Lukashenko said he wanted the rectors to be active participants in the educational process modernization: “I would like to see the modernization of these universities to originate not only from the minister but you, too. First, in order for us to act right and to prevent errors because you have a better vision of how things should be modernized. Second, in order for you to say loud if things go wrong. It will not undermine the state, contrariwise, I am not afraid of it”.

“We have many problems in universities and concrete ones at that. But I want you to keep in mind that we will not allow any more major restructuring of the education system. The issues we get told about sometimes, for instance, problems with languages or some other stuff, are nothing but idle talk. We resolved these problems a long time ago. It is time to improve things, put the university system into order, work calmly, organize the process, improve the quality of education and make it up to date, adjust it to the situation evolving in the economy and the politics of our state. It is your key task,” stressed the President.