Optimization of the education system in the Vitebsk region in 2013 will affect about 70 schools

The optimization of the education system in the Vitebsk region in 2013 will affect about 70 schools, the head of the education department of the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee, Ivan Shchurok, told a BELTA correspondent.

During discussions with local authorities, the education department plans to close 24 schools this year and reorganize 46 schools: secondary general education schools into basic schools, and basic schools into primary schools. The necessity of such transformations is primarily due to the decrease in the number of students in rural schools and the inability to ensure a high quality of education in small schools, explained Ivan Shchurok.

At the same time, the head of the department emphasized that the closure or reorganization of educational institutions will be discussed with the public. Additional vehicles are planned to be purchased specifically for transporting students. Teachers will be provided with jobs, and if necessary, their retraining will be ensured. The region lacks teacher-psychologists, social educators, and foreign language teachers. In addition, Ivan Shchurok believes that reorganization can become one of the reserves for increasing teachers' salaries.

Currently, 535 general secondary education institutions operate in the region, with 108.2 thousand students. Of these, 78% of all students attend 176 urban schools, while 22% of all students attend 361 rural schools. In 2012, the number of graduates from general education schools in the region was 18.5 thousand people, a decrease of 2.2 thousand people compared to 2011.