| Education System in Belarus |
Education in Belarus is free and compulsory from age 6 to 15 and the system is well administered. From age 6 to 10 children attend primary school where they receive a basic grounding in literacy and numeracy.
Thereafter pupils go on to basic secondary school for 5 years culminating in a certificate of basic education at age 15. The curriculum continues to be academically based and universal across the state.
When students enter senior secondary school level they are faced with a raft of choices regarding the route of education they wish to take. They may remain in the academic stream for 3 years at gymnasiums. They may attend vocational classes at lyceums for 2 years. Or they may train at a strictly practical level at colleges and obtain a trade.
A network of institutions throughout Belarus provides refresher courses and reskilling opportunities in a country where ongoing education remains a priority. Fees are charged and there is little central control.
In Belarus there are 44 state controlled tertiary institutions, namely 31 universities, 6 academies, 2 institutes, and 4 higher colleges. In total about 300,000 students are enrolled.
The most venerable is the Belarusian State University established in 1921. Its 17 faculties present a wide range of educational opportunities and these do not include a range of educational and scientific research institutes. There are approximately 5000 students there.
