Pre-primary and Secondary Education in Belarus

Pre-primary and Secondary Education in Belarus Education is among the main priorities of the national policy of the Republic of Belarus, and according to the Constitution, all Belarusian children have the right and equal opportunities to learn and study. The main principles of the educational system of Belarus are the priority of human values, national culture and scientific basis. Great attention is given to the development of a child’s personality, a healthy way of life and support of gifted children. Belarusian students are also encouraged to take part in extracurricular activities including clubs, school concerts, sport competitions, excursions and holiday parties. Almost all Belarusian educational establishments are mixed-sex which means that boys and girls study together. The academic year begins on the first of September and finishes at the end of the May. As a rule, there are 20-25 students in a class and they have 6-7 lessons a day. The Ministry of Education of the Republic of Belarus is responsible for the running of school system, developing and applying the state educational standards, developing new curricula and accreditation of educational establishments. Pre-primary education Belarus boasts a well-developed pre-primary education system. Although preprimary education is not mandatory, most children attend preschools. There are 2,940 pre-primary education institutions in Belarus (including 15 private ones) in the 2019/2020 academic year. More than 436,600 children were enrolled in pre-school programs. Another 6,600 kindergarten places became available in 2019. Belarus has cemented its leading positions in the CIS in terms of pre-school and kindergarten enrollment of children aged 1-6 years. In 2019 the enrollment rate stood at 83.6%; for children aged 3-6 it was even higher – 98.3%. 100% of five-year olds attend programs to prepare them for entry into primary education. General secondary education Children in Belarus start attending school at the age of 6. General secondary education is divided into three stages: primary, lower secondary and upper secondary. Lower secondary education lasts for nine years, upper secondary education takes 11 years. After completing lower secondary education programs, students can continue studying at their schools or gymnasiums for two more years, or take up a secondary vocational education program where they receive secondary education and vocational training. The General Certificate for Secondary Education or Secondary Vocational Education is the main document which enables young people to get enrolled at institutions of higher education. There were 3,003 state-funded secondary schools and 17 private secondary schools in the 2019-2020 academic year, with the total of 1,303,000 students enrolled. Since 2002 a 10-grade scale has been used to assess student’s scholastic performance. Among the recent trends of general secondary education was the introduction of subject-oriented programs at upper secondary school. There are profession-oriented classes where students, in addition to advanced learning of the subjects, are required to do an extracurricular program in such areas as teaching (Introduction to teaching), farming (Introduction to agriculture) and sport (Introduction to sport). The Vocational Training course was introduced for students of the 10th and 11th grades at institutions of general secondary education with no subject-oriented programs. The course envisages teaching vocational skills. Its main purpose is to provide students with the opportunity to learn new skills and master a particular profession. Belarus is fully committed to ensuring equal access to general secondary education. Education in the country is delivered in two official languages, Belarusian and Russian. Learning one foreign language - English, German, French, Spanish or Chinese - is compulsory. A six-day school week comprises a five-day academic week and one more day (sixth) to do sport, physical education, health-improvement and other educational activities, as well as vocational training. Special needs education The Republic of Belarus has achieved good results in the work with children with special needs, including children with disabilities. The country provides all children with the opportunity to get education, regardless of the nature and intensity of their condition. They can get vocational education and jobs. Belarus set up a system of preschool, secondary, and special needs education that does not only teach children but also provides psychological and adaptive pedagogical support and offers a case-by-case approach to students in the educational process.