The Polotsk College of Vitebsk State University named after P. Masherov celebrated its 150th anniversary
Today, the college is a modern, mobile educational institution with established traditions and powerful educational potential. More than 600 students are trained here in five specialties: "Preschool Education", "Primary Education", "Foreign Language", "Music Education", "Hotel Services Organization". Of the 88 teachers, more than half are its best graduates.
The history of the educational institution began on October 6 (Old Style) 1872. On this day, the Polotsk Teacher's Seminary was solemnly opened. It was intended to provide primary schools in the region with personnel. In the first academic year, 52 young men were enrolled in the seminary, most of them were peasants and townspeople from the Vitebsk province.
– We have a truly highly professional team. 78% of pedagogical workers have the highest qualification category, 55% have a master's degree, one teacher has been awarded the degree of Candidate of Philological Sciences, and six teachers have been awarded the badge "Excellent Student of Education", – says Tatyana Polushkina (in the photo), member of the Council of the Republic of the National Assembly of Belarus, Honored Educator, Director of Polotsk College of VSU named after P. Masherov. – It is very responsible and honorable to lead such a team.
There are only two entries in Tatyana Polushkina's work record: Polotsk School No. 7 and the pedagogical college, where she progressed from a teacher of philological disciplines to the director. One can imagine how much spiritual and physical strength the talented teacher and leader has devoted to the team over more than four decades.
– Currently, the importance of educational and humanitarian cooperation, constructive interaction with other educational institutions is growing. In this regard, we pay great attention to expanding ties with educational institutions of the Federation, – says Tatyana Polushkina. – We have signed cooperation agreements with five Russian pedagogical colleges: Kemerovo, Smolensk, No. 18 from Mitino, Moscow, No. 4 and No. 8 from St. Petersburg.
Over the past three years, Polotsk College has become the winner of the regional review competition for the best organization of ideological work in the labor collectives of the Vitebsk region in the nomination "Higher, secondary special and vocational-technical education". In 2022, the educational institution was included in the Honor Board of the city of Polotsk and Polotsk district.
The team participates in an experimental innovative project on the topic "Development and testing of an electronic educational resource for integration into a unified educational resource for vocational and secondary specialized education institutions", which allows the implementation of the most advanced experience in the educational process.
For more than 20 years, the college has been fulfilling the target admission figures by 100% for all specialties, and also successfully places graduates in different regions of our republic. This is evidence of the demand for specialists with secondary special pedagogical education.
In the Year of Historical Memory, civil-patriotic projects are being implemented here, aimed at studying and preserving the memory of graduates and teachers of the educational institution: "So that life continues again", "And the heroes of the fiery forties come alive in unfading memory". The exploits of college graduates Tatyana Marinenko, Liliya Kostetskaya, Nikolay Zhizhov, Anastasia Belskaya during the Great Patriotic War serve as an example for the younger generation. Today's student already realizes that, coming to school or kindergarten tomorrow, he will become not only a teacher, but also the first ideologist for a child. To raise a worthy patriot of his country, a highly educated personality is the task of every graduate of a pedagogical profile.
The education system is constantly improving, with new interactive teaching methods, electronic textbooks, and forms of knowledge assessment being introduced. But one thing remains unchanged – the greatest role of the Teacher. Only he, combining wisdom and pedagogical talent, awakens the brightest feelings in the hearts of students, teaches them to think and understand, to distinguish good from evil, and to believe in themselves.