Uladzimir Zdanovich: 12-year education system requires to increase retirement age

Schools in Belarus have just adapted to the 12-year schooling term, and the Ministry of Education describes the proposed abolition of the new term as a setback. But, the Office of the President has started insisting that this system is not economically efficient.

The European Radio for Belarus called Uladzimir Zdanovich, a member of parliament who chairs the education committee in the House of Representatives to comment on the situation. He is aware of the conflict between the education ministry and the presidential administration. However, he says that his stance on this issue is neutral and that no education reform in this country has ever been completed.

“I am taking a neutral position. Each of the sides has a good reasoning in order to defend their stance. In order to maintain 12 not 11 grades in a secondary school, it is required to increase expenditures by at least 9 percent. Most of the kids want to complete 12 years of secondary education. Secondly, if these people start their adult lives one year later, the government will have to increase the retirement age by one year”.

Uladzimir Zdanovich understands that the Office of the President wants to save money. If the money was there, there would be no need to turn the reform back.

“If the country has money and a possibility to provide all the industry and public sectors with the labor force, it would be logical to complete the reform. I recall that no (education) reform has been brought to a logical end in this country”.

Yury Hladkou, the head of the general secondary education department at the Ministry of Education, confirmed to the European Radio for Belarus that on February 21 the ministry will hold talks with the presidential administration on this issue.

He maintains that the state’s spending for the 12-year education system is not high. The 12th year is made up of Saturdays which are now days off in the Belarusian schools, he says.

“Economically speaking, expenditures for the 12th year of education amount to around 4 percent of the total education budget in the country. I think that these expenditures are totally justified. We need mobile, competitive people rather than diggers”, he said.

Natallya Byshnaya, the headmaster of the Gymnasium No 1 in Minsk, believes that the state should invest in the education, because this money will be refunded later. She says that teachers have already adapted themselves to the 12-year education system and appreciated it.

She also refers to the world’s experience and thinks it is useful to follow it.

Natallya Bushnaya: “The world’s practice is at least 12 years of general education. We have some new subjects. In addition, we have two state languages. All this requires more time”.