Preparation for the new academic year is under strict control of the Head of State, the Government and the Ministry of Education.

This topic is one of the main ones in the media today. The National Press Center hosted a press conference on the readiness of schools for the new academic year.

Deputy Head of the Main Department of General Secondary, Preschool and Special Education - Head of the Department of General Secondary Education of the Ministry of Education Irina Karzhova spoke about readiness of the educational institutions to accept students, and answered on all questions.

What was the conference about!

More than BYN 196 million was allocated for the preparation of schools for the 2022-2023 academic year. Safe, comfortable conditions in the education system are essential.

To date, 99.1% of educational institutions have received certificates of readiness.

At the same time, seven educational institutions will be under major repairs and the educational process will not start there on September 1. One such educational institution is in the Brest region and six of them in Minsk. Students will go to other educational institutions instead.

2865 public institutions of the country will open their doors, implementing educational programs of general secondary education. Over 1 million students will sit at their desks, of which 110,000 are first-graders.

On September 1, solemn events dedicated to the Day of Knowledge and the beginning of the academic year will take place in all educational institutions. The theme of the first lesson is "Belarus and I - a dialogue of peace and creation". Senior officials, heads of ministries and departments will take part in the solemn events.

The officials undertake measures to ensure uninterrupted transportation of students to schools.
Belarus has retained measures of social support for students, including the organization of free transportation of students to educational institutions.

Local executive and administrative bodies have determined the routes of students and assigned persons responsible for their escort. School buses are equipped with a video recording system, fire extinguishers, first aid kits, seat belts, signal beacons and warning signs "Transportation of students". In accordance with the order of the President, there are 151 new school buses already bought and ready for operation.

In addition, by the end of this year, the plan isto supply 124 school buses to educational institutions. No less than 87 of these vehicles are equipped with lifting devices for transportation of students with special needs.
Currently, school textbooks are being improved in the process of their reprinting. In 2023, the plan is to publish 29 school textbooks for general secondary education institutions. Twenty four of them are ready by September 1, 2023 and are delivered to educational institutions on time. The remaining five textbooks will be published in September-October.

In preparing for the re-edition of textbooks, the results of an experimental check of textbooks, the degree of satisfaction of teachers, students and teaching staff, which was determined during the survey, have been taken into account.

In the next academic year, the Ministry of Education will continue to monitor the quality of education. In November 2023, a National Education Quality Study is scheduled. Students of the 10th grade of educational institutions will take part in the study. Statistical sampling will be random.

The study includes the performance of diagnostic work, questioning of students and teachers. Diagnostic work aims at testing the ability of students to use the experience gained in the classroom.

Recommendations for conducting the National Education Quality Survey are posted on the National Education Portal.

In the 2023/2024 academic year, the practice of conducting republican examinations will remain.

In addition to those subjects and classes that will be determined for the republican test, for the first time this year the Ministry of Education plans to conduct a republican test for 11th grade students on the history of Belarus.

Five and a half thousand young specialists were assigned to educational institutions this year.

According to local authorities, educational institutions will be completely equipped with teaching staff by September 1.