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There are too many school teachers in Belarus, minister says

There are too many school teachers in Belarus, Education Minister Syarhey Maskevich told reporters in Minsk on December 21.

Belarus has the highest teacher to student ratio in Europe and may cut in half the number of people admitted to teachers' training schools, the minister said.

Mr. Maskevich announced that by way of experiment the government would make school funding in some areas in Minsk, the Hrodna and Homyel regions dependent on the number of students in 2013. The education authorities believe that the reform will encourage the schools to improve their training standards and work to attract more students.

In particular, he said, the schools will try to keep their best teachers.

The results of the experiment will become known only in three or five years' time, Mr. Maskevich said. //BelaPAN