English

Lukashenka concerned that education system will have to be reformed when Belarus joins Bologna Process

Alyaksandr Lukashenka expressed concern that the Belarusian education system would have to be reformed when the country accedes to the Bologna Process, which is aimed at creating a European Higher Education Area, as quoted by BelaPAN.

The Bologna Declaration does not require drastic reform in crucial areas, Mr. Lukashenka said during a government conference held on June 7, according to the presidential press office.

Belarus has already taken certain steps to bring its education system into line with European standards, Mr. Lukashenka said. However, "the most important thing remains the same: we don't have the right to break the education system," he warned.

By signing the Convention on the Recognition of Qualifications concerning Higher Education in the European Region, known as the Lisbon Recognition Convention, Belarus has started the process of joining the Bologna Process, the press office said. According to it, a decision was made in 2005 to switch to a European-style two-cycle higher education system without abandoning "Belarusian peculiarities."

Instead of thinking about a new reform, attention should be paid to unsolved problems, of which Belarus has a fair share, Mr. Lukashenka said.

The education system should meet Belarus' national interests, contribute to the development of the national economy, prepare young people for real life and teach them "healthy ideology," he said.