C. Whose future profession do you find more interesting? Why?

D. Role-Playing. You are Olga and Mikhail. You've just met at
the conference organised during the week of Commercial Activity at

Your college. As you study at different faculties, you are interested in each other's studies. Tell each other about your faculties.

2. Discussion

Answer the following questions.

1.Is it an easy thing to choose a profession? 2. How and when did you make your choice? 3. What specialists are trained at your college? 4. What is your future speciality? 5. Why have you chosen this speciality? 6. What are your main subjects? Do you have any optional subjects? 7. Do students of your college have classes exclusively inside the college? 8. Where can you work after graduating from the college? 9. What duties will you have? 10. Is it easy for your college graduates to enter a university? Do you intend to continue your education?

3. General Comprehension

In groups, note down the ideas which you are likely to find in the text below judging by its headline. Compare your lists in class. Then read the text and check how many ideas are on your lists.

The Development of Education in the Republic of Belarus

The Republic of Belarus has entered the 21st century with a developed educational system. Such macroindicators as the level of the adult population literacy (99,8%) and coverage of the working population with basic, general secondary and vocational education (98%) are a vivid evidence. Belarus' leading place among the CIS participating states is largely accounted for by its educational potential.

During the past decade there was a stable growth in spending on education. The new Law on Education contains regulations which stipulate an increase in spending on education up to 10 % of the GDP.

Pre-school institutions are being modernized, and new establishments are being set up: kindergartens at home, seasonal and all-year-round playgrounds. Special attention is paid to the development of new institutions for villages, such as "kindergarten-schools".

Basic education has undergone reforms since 1998, which aim at increasing the quality of education according to the present-day demands. Belarus can boast the high quality of schooling. Belarusian schoolchildren have been awarded numerous medals, at international contests in biology, mathematics, physics, and chemistry.

A 10-grade assessment system has been introduced in order to enhance individual approach to pupils and students. Transition towards a single state exam is being gradually implemented; the exam is held in the form of centralized testing. Numerous educational materials have been published. They include school textbooks, teacher's books, wall maps on history and geography, fiction books from the "School Library" series.

Vocational schools and institutes have been transformed into vocational lyceums and colleges since 2001. Today there are already more than 40 lyceums and more than 50 colleges, which make up about 40% of all vocational educational institutions. Every year about 30% of all graduates of secondary vocational institutions enter higher educational establishments. They constitute 10% of full-time students, and more than 50% of distant learning students. The number of students in Belarus has risen to about 400,000. There are about 400 students per 10,000 residents.

In 2002 the Government of Belarus enacted a decree on higher education levels, and in 2004 the strategy of introducing a 2-stage system was approved. Each of the two successive stages represents a complete period of learning and provides professional qualification. Transition to a new structure of higher education will have been made by 2010.

A lot is being done to ensure the rights of people with special needs to basic and vocational education. Learning assistance centres, integrated education classes and special-need classes are being set up in general education schools; they are intended for the children previously regarded as incapable of learning. Teaching technologies aimed at improving children's health are being introduced.

Thousands of children have their rest in respite institutions, improve their health in wellness centres, round-the-clock and daytime camps.