A. Lukashenka considers it necessary to optimize the programs and timelines for training specialists in the country

August 9, Minsk / Alina Grishkevich - BELTA/. The readiness of educational institutions for the new academic year, personnel training in the country, and the optimization of the structure and content of educational programs were discussed on August 9 during a report to Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko by Education Minister Sergey Maskevich. This was reported to BELTA by the press service of the Belarusian leader.

The minister informed that all educational institutions are fully ready for the start of the new academic year. In particular, teaching and lecturing staff have been recruited, and the necessary educational and methodological materials have been published. The sale of school uniforms and footwear, as well as school stationery, has been organized. According to the minister, measures for material support of low-income families with schoolchildren have also been considered.

All preparations have been made in schools to ensure proper nutrition for children during their studies.

This year, 6 new schools, 15 new preschool institutions, and 2 new dormitories will begin operating in the country.

The Ministry of Education is launching several pilot projects, one of which is aimed at the intensive introduction of electronic learning tools into the educational process. This project is being implemented in cooperation with the Belarusian High-Tech Park. Eight educational institutions in the country have been selected to begin an experiment on the use of netbooks in primary classes.

A new learning device was presented to the President. The Head of State approved the idea.

During the report, the issue of the quality of personnel training in Belarusian institutions was discussed.

"We need to consider the issue of personnel training in the country very seriously. I fear I might be mistaken, but it can be said that we are teaching students things that are absolutely unnecessary in life for about a third of the time," Alexander Lukashenko noted. "And we know, there's nothing to hide here: in universities, many students do not study certain subjects at all, or only study them to pass a test or exam, because they will not need them in the future."

This issue was raised during the President's recent working trip to the Gorki district of the Mogilev region, where the oldest agricultural university, the Belarusian State Agricultural Academy, is located.

"There, as in other universities, significant modernization is required. The academy serves as a clear example: approximately a quarter or a third of students do not work in their specialty afterwards, but pursue various other paths – from law enforcement to industry. Why, then, was the admission of applicants increased? Is there nowhere else to put money?" the President asked a pertinent question.

Alexander Lukashenko criticized university curricula: "The programs are outdated, not oriented towards the current development of agricultural production."

The Head of State also touched upon the duration of study: "Based on what students receive at the academy and other universities, study periods can be calmly reduced by 25%. We have agreed that in the final year of study at the academy, students will exclusively engage in the sphere of material production, at agricultural enterprises, to directly familiarize themselves with the development of the agro-industrial complex."

The President emphasized that he categorically insists on changing both the specialist training plans and the duration of study.

Alexander Lukashenko separately addressed the demand for specialists trained by Belarusian universities.

"We need to look at who we are training. Today, we need engineers the most. But we have an oversupply of lawyers, economists, political scientists – soon we won't be able to employ them all. However, knowing this situation, we continue to train them. This is unacceptable; the situation must be changed," said the Head of State.

The President decided to hold a republican meeting this year to thoroughly analyze the state of Belarusian education and coordinate the activities of educational institutions. -0-