The System of Education in Belarus
One of the main principles of public education in Belarus is the equality of all its citizens in getting an education, irrespective of race or nationality, sex, attitude to religion, social or property status. The compulsory education is free – no payment is required for tuition or books. In Belarus a genuinely democratic system of public education is in action. It provides a real opportunity of obtaining a school-leaving certificate for every young man or woman.
A good education helps young people develop their personalities and make their own way in society.
The system of public education includes:
● pre-school education,
● general secondary education,
● out-of-class schooling,
● vocational technical training,
● secondary special training,
● higher education.
The first stage of the education system consists of pre-school establishments: crèches or kindergartens. These institutions are staffed with specially trained teachers, nurses and doctors. Here the children are not only looked after but also given special treatment. Special methods are used to stimulate their physical and intellectual development. Children's pre-school centres are in close cooperation with the family. They protect and build up children's health, foster in them elementary practical habits.
School starts at the age of 6 or 7. Ordinary general education is divided into 3 stages: primary school, incomplete secondary school and complete secondary school.
Primary education provides the needs of children about 6-10. Primary children do all their work with the same teacher except for English, PT, and music which are taught by other teachers. The next level is incomplete secondary school – the 5th - 9th forms. Pupils go to secondary school automatically, regardless of their intelligence. Secondary schools help pupils to develop lively ingenious minds, to acquire knowledge, skills and interests. They offer a wide choice of subjects. There are exams following the 9th and 1lth forms. Upon finishing nine classes a pupil can go either to a vocational school or having passed the necessary exams to a lyceum or a college.
The vocational schools train highly skilled workers in various branches of national economy, industry, agriculture, civil engineering, transport, trade etc.
Nowadays middle-grade specialists are trained at pedagogical, medical, economic, polytechnic, architectural and other training colleges.
After leaving incomplete secondary school gifted pupils go to senior forms and get a complete secondary education by the age of 16 or 17. The senior form curriculum offers considerable opportunities for studies and is aimed at university entry. On the completion of their studies at secondary school the young people get a school-leaving certificate. It serves as an entry qualification for the young people who seek further education in higher educational establishments.
It's necessary to add that any kind of educational establishment has its curriculum. It is not merely what goes on in the classroom. It ought to be more than a programme of study: it should be concerned with a child's development and with all the ways of learning that a school can provide to encourage that development.
Further educational establishments include Universities and Academies. The applicants for a higher school take entrance examinations in July and August before the new academic year begins. Apart from university departments for daytime study, there are evening and correspondence departments. They are for the people combining work and study.
There is no doubt that every system of education has its advantages and disadvantages. Modern school has a lot of problems nowadays. There is no public debate about how schools are run, how they are financed, what they should teach, what they should achieve and to whom they should be accountable. There are also several definitions of effective schooling. Certainly goals may be different. The school mission is to teach the whole child. The whole child is defined in terms of academic growth, moral strength, and physical development. Unfortunately nowadays the young do not have strong values. Believe that an effective school presents codes of morality young people can admire. There is an English saying, "Values are caught, not taught" – that is they originate from real life examples. That is why the world of parents and teachers is so important.
School doesn't offer an opportunity for the pupil to learn more about himself, about art, about the world around us. Very often the personality of a pupil is not taken into account, school doesn't lead you into a job and it doesn't bring practical experience (for young people) and how they can work with people. All subjects are compulsory, you have no choice and talented pupils don't have any privileges. If pupils were given a chance to chose, they would include in the curriculum the subjects worth learning: art (painting or sculpture), economics, history and culture of Belarus, keyboard skills, management, politics, home economics, medicine, marketing and ecology.
Modern school of the future is a school where pupils and teachers are good partners and companions. It's a school with a wide choice of subjects. It's a school with the greatest possible educational opportunities.