Quality of education at all levels is a priority
The rapidly passing 2023 was eventful for the education system of Belarus. Many events and actions took place for the first time. For example, the most significant innovation at the school education level was the centralized exam, as well as the emergence of new specialties in high schools and the introduction of characteristics. Most of the innovations affected the introductory campaign. Minister of Education Andrei Ivanets summed up the results of the outgoing year in an interview with a BELTA correspondent.
We would like you to pay attention to the most interesting facts and details of the last year.
1. In the 2022/2023 academic year, there were 1,614 professional classes, with more than 13.5 thousand students. Of these: agriculture - 626 classes (more than 4.2 thousand students), pedagogy - 756 classes (more than 6.7 thousand students), sports and pedagogy - 75 classes (989 students), military-patriotic - 157 classes (almost 1.6 thousand students).
Engineering and railway classes are available for the 2023/2024 academic year for the first time. The Ministry of Education has designated the Belarusian National Technical University as the coordinator of the activities of engineering classes, which, together with the National Institute of Education has developed a program of elective classes. Currently, engineering classes operate in 223 general secondary education institutions - these are 42 classes with 832 students, as well as 195 groups with 1,751 students.
We have specialized pedagogical classes since the 2015/2016 academic year. In the current 2023/2024 academic year, a record number of pedagogical classes and groups have been opened in the country: 7,985 students study in 834 pedagogical classes. The positive dynamics are explained by the high interest of teaching and student teams of general secondary education institutions in the pedagogical profile, the desire to test their capabilities in practice and determine the relevance of this particular profile for students.
In the 2022/2023 academic year, 2,864 people graduated from pedagogical classes, of which 744 graduates received recommendations from the pedagogical councils of general secondary education institutions for admission to pedagogical specialties. Every year, every third graduate of the total number of graduates of pedagogical classes enters pedagogical specialties.
2. An important role in early career guidance is played by pre-vocational training of students at the 8-9th grade level in schools. Pre-vocational training is a mandatory preparatory stage for students to consciously choose the level of basic education, taking into account their own individuality to continue education upon completion of training and education at the second stage of general secondary education.
In order to provide information support to students in choosing a future professional activity, the Ministry of Education has prepared curricula for elective classes in grades 8 and 9. Currently, in general secondary education institutions, there is an ongoing work to create classes in which physics, mathematics, chemistry, and biology are studied at an advanced level.
3. In the 2023/2024 academic year, about 107 thousand 9th grade students and about 58 thousand 11th grade students study in general secondary education institutions. At the end of the last academic year, the number of 9th grade students who continued their studies in vocational and secondary specialized education institutions was about 45% of the total number of 9th graders. Taking into account new approaches to conducting final certification of graduates, already this year we see a shift in the choice of basic school graduates in favor of obtaining a profession. We plan that gradually the number of 9th grade graduates going to college will reach 50-60%.
4. College enrollment increased. The established enrollment figures were: in 193 educational institutions implementing educational programs of secondary specialized education - 39.6 thousand people, in 159 educational institutions implementing educational programs of vocational education - 26.5 thousand people.
In 2023, enrollment was carried out in specialties of secondary specialized education that are new to the country.
In order to flexibly respond to the changing needs of regional labor markets, the structure of training at the level of vocational education is improved annually. Thus, in 2023, admission to 162 unclaimed qualifications was suspended and training was opened for 121 new qualifications for individual educational institutions. Training has been opened for two new professions for which training was not previously provided in Belarus - “equipment adjuster in the production of plastic products” and “florist”.
5. The 2023 admission campaign was carried out on the basis of the tasks set by the head of state to create fair, equal, transparent conditions for the admission of applicants to our country. An analysis of the admission of applicants this year allows us to conclude that, in general, the assigned tasks have been solved and the proposed innovations have had a positive effect. The main directions for improving the 2024 admissions campaign have also been identified.
Particular attention during the 2023 admissions campaign was paid to identifying gifted and motivated applicants. More than 4 thousand school and college graduates entered universities taking no exams.
Additional trajectories of admission to regional universities were created for applicants based on the results of university Olympiads, for graduates of specialized professional classes and military-patriotic clubs, graduates of university lyceums and the National Children's Technopark and other categories of applicants.
6. The decree of the Ministry of Education of August 14, 2023 established the forms and deadline for the final certification of students in the 2023/2024 academic year. In the 11th grade, two centralized exams in Russian or Belarusian languages and an elective subject have been retained. The CE will be held on May 27 and 30. In this case, the first will be the CE in a subject of choice, the second - in state languages and will be combined with the CT.
In addition, we have reserve days in June and August; there is no reserve day in May. As before, it is planned to combine reserve days for the CE with reserve days for the CT.
It is planned that 58 thousand graduates of general secondary education institutions will take part in the CE.
The Ministry of Education is carrying out preparatory work to hold a centralized exam in 2024, the results of which will be counted for admission to higher education institutions. On January 27, 2024, a trial for the centralized exam will take place. An action plan for preparing and conducting a trial for the centralized examination (RCE) has been approved.
It is planned that about 58 thousand graduates of general secondary education institutions will take part in the trial, which is 5 thousand more compared to 2023.
7. The form of conducting entrance examinations for admission to target places will be preserved. As in 2023, target applicants will take one entrance test in oral or practical form at the university. The list of questions that will be included in the exam papers is posted on the website of the Ministry of Education. Министерства образования.
To ensure equal opportunities for admission to universities for graduates of general secondary education institutions and colleges, the acceptance of documents, internal entrance examinations and enrollment in universities under the conditions of targeted training will be organized in early July 2024. At the same time, the winners of university Olympiads will be admitted to regional universities.
8. The main acceptance of documents from applicants to universities will be held in July. Admission of applicants will be carried out for budget and paid places, the number of which is approved.
Currently, plans for admission to universities and colleges in our country are being formed together with interested parties. A preliminary analysis of the results of this work allows us to conclude that there has been a slight increase in budget admissions in teaching, medical, engineering and agricultural specialties. It is also planned that the target enrollment of applicants for these specialties will soar in 2024.
9. The experience of organizing university Olympiads will not yet be implemented to Minsk - this year 21 regional universities will hold their own university Olympiads.
10. Having analyzed the results of the admission campaign for the 2022/2023 academic year, we can conclude that the model proposed for graduates of the National Children's Technopark when entering higher education institutions in the specialties of the education profiles “engineering and technology” and “natural sciences” and also in lyceums and universities for obtaining secondary education without entrance tests has proven its effectiveness.
In terms of organizing the admissions campaign, the tasks remain unchanged: creating fair, equal and transparent conditions for the admission of applicants to our country.
The priority is to ensure the quality of education at all levels. The Ministry of Education has approved the Concept for ensuring the quality of education until 2025 and for perspective until 2030.