Report of Education Minister Andrei Ivanets

Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko heard a report from Education Minister Andrei Ivanets on 3 September.

First, the head of state outlined several key topics, requesting the minister to report on the results of the admissions campaign, the quality of school catering, and the physical training of school and university students. The President was also interested in the establishment of the Academy of Intellectual Technologies and the functioning of master’s programs. Another topic was the mandatory employment of graduates across the country, how this process is organized, and what might be lacking.

Aleksandr Lukashenko noted that he had recently spent about a week on official trips abroad, and before that, his attention had been focused on the progress of the harvest campaign in the countryside. “There was simply no escaping it. Therefore, it might have seemed that school and university issues took a back seat. But this does not mean that I am out of the loop regarding how things unfolded with the start of the new academic year,” the President said. “Naturally, there is the issue of the admissions campaign. How did it go, and are there any problems that require my attention?”

The head of state also proposed discussing certain organizational and personnel matters, if necessary.

On school meals and physical fitness of students

Aleksandr Lukashenko reiterated the task of ensuring quality nutrition for school students.

“We agreed that we need to make sure we no longer have to worry about school meals and discuss them at the Presidential level. Such a task was set before the government and you,” the head of state said. “I see that we keep moving in the direction of offering children almost restaurant-style menus or something similar. Children just need to be properly fed at lunchtime. We have enough potatoes, enough meat, enough milk. So sausages, cold cuts, and so on - something simple so that children can eat well.”

“Let’s be honest, some families don’t pay much attention to their children’s nutrition. So what they get at school - a proper meal - will be acceptable for the children and will contribute to their normal health and development,” the President said.

The head of state also ordered an overhaul of school physical education programs.

“Schools are still falling short when it comes to physical fitness. The military also tells me that the conscript pool, while somewhat improved, has not changed much. We need to give our young people, especially school-age children, a good shake-up in terms of physical conditioning,” the head of state said.

“That is why nutrition and physical education in schools are among the important issues. The same applies to universities,” the Belarusian leader added. 

On school renovation

The President was informed that Belarusian education institutions are ready for the new academic year. As of 1 September Belarus had about 3,500 preschool education institutions (kindergartens and nurseries) that welcomed 300,000 kids. As many as 2,600 schools are operational and teach 1.025 million school students, including 87,500 first-grade students. According to the minister, all the schools had been certified as ready for the beginning of the academic year by 1 September.

“No matter the cost, it is necessary to completely shake up the schools and make them the way we want them to be. If someone fails to understand something, report it to me in time. Don’t drag these problems into 2027. They have to be resolved now,” the President gave the instructions.

In response Andrei Ivanets noted: “All the oblast governors understand this task. They demonstrate a very responsible attitude to the matter.”

The minister explained that the implementation of a three-year plan on modernizing the schools is supposed to be finished this year. “More than 300 schools have undergone major renovation in the course of the three years,” he said.

On the Academy of Intellectual Technologies

The process of establishment of an Academy of Intellectual Technologies was covered by the report.

Aleksandr Lukashenko said: “We have to set up a respectable institution where the most talented and capable people will study. I emphasize: people. This is why it doesn’t mean that it will admit kids after the 11th grade, even the most talented ones, and no one else. It should be avoided. If a person of any age is talented and can do something, they should be able to go there with a concrete proposal. And once we offer them opportunities to get better over there, to be taught and create something in the labs so that they could make a real product for us in the end, a product that the society, our economy, our state need.”

The head of state wondered about the progress of establishment of this academy, in which the education minister is going to head the Supervisory Board and determine the policy in the practical dimension.

“You are a man of knowledge. Everything came at a cost in this life for you. You are educated, knowledgeable, and promising. And you’ve tried all of it in the scientific dimension. Just what the academy needs. You will have to take care of this academy, personnel, and so on,” the Belarusian leader remarked.

The President noted that just before this meeting he had received proposals in the shape of draft Presidential decrees concerning the establishment of the academy. He stated that there is no need to burden the government with this matter, no need for the government to work out some system, make decisions on fields or personnel.

“Universities function in our country. The system is understandable. It is governed by the Education Ministry. The academy should operate in the same manner. Besides, the education minister will be personally involved as the chairman of the Supervisory Board. There is no need to elevate matters of the academy to some higher authority. Moreover, it would be done totally pro forma,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said. “You will still have to work out these approaches and forward them to the government if, according to your correspondence, the government has to determine some aspects and fields. It is a Presidential initiative. It is virtually a Presidential body. It is obvious that both the government and the Belarus President Administration would get involved in it by default.”

On support for young specialists

Young specialists in Belarus should not be pampered, but they should receive support when and where it is needed, Aleksandr Lukashenko said during a meeting with Education Minister Andrei Ivanets.

“I asked for information on how they are doing and what else we need to do for them. This does not mean we should coddle them. No one coddled me, and no one coddled you either. We scrambled through life on our own. But help should be given where needed,” the head of state said.

On master's programs and Western standards

“Master’s programs are an issue that I am closely monitoring. How are we performing there today? You and I agreed that we would not chase these Western standards. However, where there is something sensible, we will adopt it. If a master’s degree is needed for education, further study, scientific research, pedagogical practice, or for foreign students, by all means, we can provide that opportunity. But this must be done without any jumping the gun or blindly copying the experience of certain Western educational centers or states,” the President said.

“We are training professionals for our own needs. Upon graduating from a university, they must receive a higher education diploma. Only after that, depending on how much our state needs it, will we consider master’s programs. This is roughly how we discussed this concept. I would like to know how this is being implemented in practice,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said, outlining one of the issues.