The department of general secondary education is a structural subdivision of the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Belarus. The key aim of the department is to rule the system of general secondary education and provide its operation.

The main tasks of the department are:

development and implementation of state policy in the field of general secondary education;

• Organizational and practical support for the implementation of decrees, directives, ordinances, orders of the President of the Republic of Belarus, laws of the Republic of Belarus “On the Rights of the Child”, “On Appeals of Citizens and Legal Entities”, the Code of the Republic of Belarus on Education, resolutions of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus, orders of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Belarus, state programs regarding the system of general secondary education;

• Ensuring the functioning and development of the national system of general secondary education in the republic;

• Development and implementation of normative legal acts regulating relations in the field of general secondary education;

• Coordination of the activities of the republican government bodies, education departments of regional executive committees, the education committee of the Minsk city executive committee, departments (divisions) of education, sports and tourism of regional (city) executive committees to implement the functions of the general secondary education system.

The department in accordance with the tasks assigned has the following functions:

• Organizes the work on the implementation of the state policy in the field of general secondary education and the implementation of the Code of the Republic of Belarus on Education and other regulatory legal acts regulating the activities of institutions of general secondary education;

• Analyzes the state and forecasts the prospects for the development of the system of general secondary education, studies global trends and determines the priority directions for the development of the system of general secondary education in the republic;

• Develops and coordinates draft regulations and other legal acts, concepts, state and other programs in the field of general secondary education, prepares proposals for the abolition of regulations and other legal acts, amends and adds to the regulations and other legal acts of the Ministry on general secondary education;

• Contributes to the development of scientific and methodological support for general secondary education, assists institutions of general secondary education in the creation of modern technologies and methods of pedagogical activity, promotes the development and implementation of innovative programs in practice, promotes generalization and dissemination of effective pedagogical experience;

• Interacts with republican government bodies and local executive and administrative bodies in resolving issues within the competence of management;

• Participates in the approval of candidates for the positions of heads of education departments of regional executive committees and the education committee of the Minsk City Executive Committee, as well as departments (divisions) of education, sports and tourism of regional (city) executive committees, administrations of districts in cities, as well as candidates for the positions of heads of organizations of the general secondary education system in accordance with acts of legislation of the Republic of Belarus;

• Interacts with republican government bodies, departments of education of regional executive committees, the education committee of the Minsk city executive committee in resolving issues related to the functioning of the system of general secondary education;

• Interacts with subordinate organizations in the areas of development of general secondary education;

• Carries out educational and methodological guidance, control and coordination of the activities of institutions of general secondary education, other organizations, regardless of departmental subordination and forms of ownership on issues within the competence of management;

• Takes measures to preserve, develop and optimize the existing network of institutions of general secondary education, their material and technical base, develops the necessary regulatory legal acts;

• Carries out methodological management of the activities of institutions of general secondary education, as well as institutions of vocational, secondary specialized and higher education, implementing educational programs of general secondary education;

• Promotes the development of international cooperation in the field of general secondary education;

• Cooperates with the regions of the Russian Federation, the Union State, the CIS member states in the field of general secondary education;

• Organizes and conducts jointly with the interested organisations republican and international scientific and practical conferences, Olympiads in academic subjects, competitions, tournaments, seminars, meetings, festivals, exhibitions and other events in the field of general secondary education;

• Coordinates the activities of the departments of education of the regional executive committees, the education committee of the Minsk City Executive Committee on the formation of a database of gifted children at the level of general secondary education;

• Coordinates the activities of the scientific and methodological institution "National Institute of Education" on the development of scientific and methodological support for general secondary education, the state educational institution "Academy of Postgraduate Education" - on the issues of advanced training of teachers of institutions of general secondary education, the educational institution "Republican Institute of Control knowledge” - on the preparation of specifications for academic subjects for entrance exams;

• Considers oral, written, electronic appeals received from citizens and legal entities within the established time limits, takes the necessary measures to eliminate the identified shortcomings, provides explanations and recommendations on issues within the competence of the department;

• Makes proposals for the appointment, extension of contracts and dismissal of heads of subordinate institutions of general secondary education;

• Considers proposals on moral and material forms of incentives for employees and staff of institutions of general secondary education for achievements in the organization of the educational process;

• Provides a unified procedure for working with documents in accordance with regulatory legal acts on office work and archiving, their high-quality preparation and execution on time.