MINISTRY OF EDUCATION OF THE REPUBLIC OF BELARUS

The issues of carrying out preventive work in educational institutions, the prevention of violence against minors were discussed today in the Ministry of Education at the collegium of the department.

Minister of Education of the Republic of Belarus Andrey Ivanets, Deputy Prosecutor General of the Republic of Belarus Maksim Voronin, Deputy Chairman of the Investigative Committee of the Republic of Belarus Sergei Azemsha took part in the board meeting.

Representatives of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Ministry of Health were invited to the event; heads of structural subdivisions of regional, city and district executive committees exercising state authority in the field of education; heads and teachers of educational institutions; heads of structural subdivisions of the apparatus of the Ministry of Education.

The key message, voiced by the Deputy Minister of Education Alexander Kadlubay at the board meeting, is that the organization of preventive work with students is one of the most important activities of educational institutions, education authorities at all levels, and is an essential component of systematic and targeted educational work.

In 2022, within the framework of the Program for the Lifelong Education of Children and Student Youth, more than a million events in 18 areas were implemented in general secondary education institutions alone. The priority areas were the ideological, civil and patriotic education of students, as well as the education of a culture of safe life and a healthy lifestyle.

Thus, a pilot project on visiting state museums was successfully implemented within the framework of a single free day established by the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Culture. Between September and December 2022, 101,229 students visited 152 state museums as part of a single free day.

The plans of educational and preventive work in institutions of higher education include mass events, group events, individual work with students.

The implementation of the Law of the Republic of Belarus “On the Fundamentals of the System for the Prevention of Neglect and Juvenile Delinquency” is carried out in the education system in the framework of identifying and eliminating the causes and conditions that contribute to the commission of unlawful acts by minors, for which all educational institutions have councils for the prevention of neglect and juvenile delinquency.

During 2022, representatives of the Ministry of Education, the National Institute of Education, the Academy of Postgraduate Education constantly monitored the state of preventive work to prevent the involvement of students in the use and distribution of drugs, and the study of work as part of interdepartmental working groups was ensured.

Taking into account the recommendations of the Ministry of Education of February 1, 2023, before planning individual preventive work, the features of family education of minors, their status in a class or in a study group, circle of friends, risks and a tendency to repeat illegal actions are studied.

The Deputy Minister of Education also noted that interaction with parents during preventive work can become an effective mechanism for controlling the behavior of a teenager, preventing him from being involved in illegal activities. The Ministry of Education has developed a Roadmap for the development of the Parent University project, which reflects work with parents of minors who are subject to individual preventive work, children recognized as being in a socially dangerous situation.

The provision of psychological assistance in educational institutions requires improvement. That is why the work on the selection of personnel of educational psychologists and the improvement of their qualifications remains under control in the department. In this regard, by the end of the 2022/2023 academic year, a republican workshop "On the provision of psychological assistance to participants in the educational process" will be held.

The participants of the board were also informed that in order to prevent the development of negative trends, the Ministry of Education, in cooperation with all interested departments, will continue to work on the prevention of crimes and delinquency of minors in 2023.

It is planned to further legal regulation of the functioning of district coordinating councils for the state protection of children in dysfunctional families, mechanisms for responding to messages from the Republican Center for Psychological Assistance.

In cooperation with the National Institute of Education, the National Children's Educational and Health Center "Zubrenok", it is planned to introduce changes to the program for raising children who have achieved high levels in educational and social activities, the program for raising children in need of recovery, the program for raising children in need of special conditions for education.

Work on the prevention of crimes and delinquency of minors, violence against children, protection of their rights and legitimate interests in cooperation with all interested state bodies will continue this year.