We cannot ignore the quality of the educational process
April 4, Minister of Education Andrei Ivanets visited the Mogilev region as part of a working trip. In Bobruisk, the head of the department visited a family-type orphanage, met with the parent-teacher and students, and inquired about the children’s interests and living conditions.
In a conversation with the guest of honor, parent-teacher Natalya Kravtsova spoke about her experience of working with students and preparing them for independent life. The family-type orphanage has been operating since 2017. 13 young people have already graduated. Although everyone is settled in life and has become independent, mother Natasha continues to be interested in their destinies and is looking forward to visiting them.
Now there are 10 students surrounded by love, care and attention. The guys all attend school, clubs and are actively involved in sports and creativity.
That’s why the Minister’s gifts came in handy. Andrei Ivanets presented the pupils with books, a colorful map for traveling around Belarus and balls.
The meeting with the pupils and employees of the children's social shelter of the Social and Pedagogical Center of the Leninsky District of Bobruisk was also meaningful. It has been working for 26 years. The educational process in the children's social shelter is carried out by 17 educators, a social teacher and an educational psychologist.
Currently, 30 children are on rehabilitation and psychological assistance here. The kids have temporary status as those in need of state protection. They stay in the shelter for up to six months. Then they return to their families of origin or are adopted. In addition, children are matched with a foster parent, a parent-teacher at a family-type orphanage, or a children's village, thanks to whom young children's hearts receive enormous parental love, warmth of soul, and live in a large and friendly family.
In a conversation with specialists, the issues were the training of teaching staff, increasing enrollment in a budget-funded form of education, the professionalism of educational psychologists, and the algorithm for providing psychological assistance to children who find themselves in a crisis situation.
Next place on the route of the Minister of Education was the Bobruisk Educational and Methodological Office. The Minister spoke with its employees and inquired about their effective teaching experience.
The key area of activity of the educational complex is methodological support aimed at improving the quality of education. This is a tremendous help in developing the professional skills of teachers. Experts provide explanations of the regulatory framework, teach evaluation of teaching activities and methods.
The conversation between the head of the department and the teaching community at Gymnasium No. 3 of Bobruisk named after Metropolitan Filaret (Vakhromeev) was filled with special meaning.
Andrey Ivanets focused on the importance of the work of correctional and developmental training and rehabilitation centers. This topic was discussed in detail at a recent republican seminar in the Belarusian State Pedagogical University named after. M. Tank. The need for fruitful cooperation with the Academy of Education comes to the fore! We need unique methods on a national scale and updating curriculum. It is important to select highly qualified teachers who are able to find an approach to each child with a complex diagnosis.
The minister emphasized: “The state creates all the necessary conditions for every child so that he can live and be raised in a family. Nothing can replace the warmth of home and family. Therefore, for children who, for a number of reasons, do not have the opportunity to be raised in their biological families, good living conditions, support and care have been created for them in new families.”
First of all, the work of social and pedagogical centers should begin with the prevention of family troubles. In this regard, center specialists need to work in close connection with the school.
The head of the department also noted that “school is an important institution of socialization, first of all, in the education of an individual, a citizen, a patriot of our country.” Each teacher coming to school classes must see the mood of the students, select the right words of support so that the children absorb knowledge in a fun mood and then return home.
Another aspect that the Minister focused on is that in the Year of Quality, close attention to all areas from economic development to quality of life. Andrey Ivanets focused the teachers’ attention on the fact that the work of specialized classes should be taken to a fundamentally new level.
This year, the Ministry of Education will conduct a detailed analysis of compliance with career guidance work, the introduction of elective classes, and the introduction of innovative methods in pedagogical, agricultural, and military-patriotic classes.
The priority is also working with gifted students who take part in republican and international Olympiads. For their development, it is necessary to create equal conditions so that every child, regardless of whether he studies in a rural school, a city or the capital, could express himself and demonstrate his talent, prepare well in the subject and adequately represent Belarus at regional, republican and international competitions.
Institutions of general secondary education must not forget about health-saving technologies. Every school should be a health area. In the future, it is planned to develop basic approaches in this direction that can be implemented everywhere. And all this corresponds to the spirit of the times and, importantly, to the needs of teachers, students and their parents.
Summing up the meeting, the Minister said: “The key figure is a teacher. Today it is very important not only to train competent, qualified specialists, but also to set the standart for such future teachers who, in their internal and personal content, spiritual and moral attitude to life, will correspond to the high purpose of being a teacher.”