Presidium of Council of Ministers to consider secondary education development program for 2007-2010

On May 29, the Presidium of the Council of Ministers of Belarus will consider a secondary education development program for 2007-2010. The meeting will be chaired by First Vice-Premier Vladimir Semashko. The program is an organizational basis for the state policy in the sphere of secondary education describing a whole range of interconnected actions aimed at meeting strategic goals and priority tasks of general secondary education. It is a fundamental document aimed at forming the intellectual, cultural and spiritual-moral potential of the nation, humanitarian ideals, values, views and beliefs based on the ideology of the Belarusian society and state. Intensive development of the economic sector, transition to the information society, considerable extension of intercultural cooperation, renovation of technologies and their introduction in all spheres of activity of the society and state as well as the growth of competition in the labor market and structural changes in the employment field necessitate further improvement of general secondary education. The program describes six main areas, where actions will be taken. This is scientific-methodic support to the secondary education system, improvement of educational procedures, development of the high-tech educational area, management improvement in the secondary education system, optimization of the network of educational establishments and personnel training. Some Br1 trillion 166 billion 226,2 million will be allocated to implement the program including Br201, 613,2 million – from the republican budget and Br964 billion 613 million – from the local budgets. In Belarus children start school at the age of 6. The schools have shifted to a five-day school week which gives broader opportunities for after-school activities, educational work, cultural and recreation events. In order to raise the objectivity of assessing pupils’ achievements a 10-grade system was introduced. Some 165 gymnasia, 36 lyceums, six education centers were opened. In 2006/2007 academic year 40.9% of students of 1-9 grades and 77.7% of students of 10-11 grades enjoy differentiated education. Some 1,600 secondary schools have classes of profound study of certain subjects; of them 91 are classes of profound study of foreign languages. Some 2,414 secondary schools provide vocation training, 644 schools have art classes. In 2008/2009 academic year vocation training will be provided in all secondary schools which will raise the quality of education and promote formation of pupils’ vocation orientation.