Education in Belarus

The national education system of the Republic of Belarus is pretty diverse and complex. There are several components in its structure:

1. Preschool education (nurseries, kindergartens)

2. General secondary education (comprehensive secondary schools, lyceums, gymnasiums)

3. Vocational education (vocational schools)

5. Secondary professional education (technical schools, colleges)

6. Higher education (universities, colleges)

7. Postgraduate education

8. Extension courses for adults

Initial education is provided in pre-school facilities – nurseries and kindergartens – where children get ready for going to school. These establishments are becoming even more popular these days, because a lot of women prefer to cut short their maternity leave and return to work as early as possible.

At the age of 6 or 7 children go to a comprehensive secondary school. Secondary education is free and compulsory. It consists of two brunches: elementary school (from the 1^st to the 4^th form) and high school (from the 5^th to the 11^th form). The academic year in primary schools lasts about 9 months, the pupils study for 4 terms interrupted by holidays. Their achievements are usually graded by letters or pictures, but not by numbers.

Four years later students move to high school. They usually study a set of natural, social and humane sciences (or simply humanities) that are covered in the curriculum. During the course students have to get a good command of the teaching material and write some tests. Their academic performance is graded by a ten-point scale and the marks are put in the record of marks. They also take part in extra-curricular activities: amateur theatres, choirs and hobby groups. At the end of the 9^th year students have to take final exams in order to get a high-school diploma. Having passed the exams, some of them decide to go to vocational and technical schools or colleges. Others go on studying until the 11^th grade and then enter a university.

To be admitted to a university, applicants should meet admission requirements. They usually have to do several entrance tests, the results of which determine whether a student will be accepted to the university or not. In order to pass entrance exams with flying colours, many students sign up for special courses that they attend in the evenings. Apart from that, the applicants have to decide on the form of education – a full-time or a correspondence course. They also have to choose the faculty and declare their major.

Those people who pass their exams successfully become first-year students, or freshmen. The students with high exam scores are awarded scholarships, others have to pay tuition fee. During the academic year students attend lectures, seminars and workshops. They have to do a lot of research and hand in their papers on time. There are two exam periods – in winter and in summer. During exam periods students get credits and sit for exams. Sometimes they are also required to write a term paper under this or that thesis adviser. The students who revised for the exam ace it easily. Those who cut classes or cheated at the exam by copying answers from the trot may flunk it. In this case they will have to retake this exam, otherwise they might be expelled. At the end of their studies students have to write and defend their diploma paper. If a student got straight A’s they graduate with honours.

After graduating from university, former students start working as young specialists. Yet, some of them choose to further their education and at the university’s graduate department. They can a master’s or a doctoral degree. Apart from that working people can improve and update their knowledge and skills by enrolling in an extension (or refreshment) course.

Дата добавления: 2015-11-14