The lower house of the Belarusian parliament has adopted in the first reading the draft law “On Amendments to Laws on Education Issues”.
Introducing the draft law, First Deputy Minister of Education Alexander Bakhanovich noted that no new regulations or fundamental changes to existing ones are envisaged.
According to the Deputy Minister, this is a technical refinement of the Education Code.
What's in the Education Bill
As BELTA reports, a number of innovations are aimed at promptly resolving the most important practical issues.
In particular, it is proposed to authorize local authorities to organize free transportation of students living in large settlements far from educational institutions, as well as in settlements located far from developed highways, to educational institutions and places where educational, cultural, sports and other events are held.
Currently, delivery is provided only in rural areas to kindergartens and schools.
Persons sentenced to imprisonment will be able to receive secondary specialized education (currently only vocational education) at college branches in correctional institutions.
Pupils of grades 9-11 of schools, specialized lyceums, cadet schools and Suvorov military schools will be able to master the educational program for training drivers of mechanical transport vehicles and self-propelled vehicles. This will create an incentive for employment in the countryside and the formation of readiness for service in the Armed Forces.
Young specialists dismissed due to conscription into the army, but not sent to serve in it, will be guaranteed to occupy their previous position within 5 calendar days from the date of receipt by the employer of the relevant notification from the military registration and enlistment office (military unit staffing level, illness).
The government will receive the authority to determine cases of redistribution and redirection of young specialists to work that are not established by the Education Code. For example, to serve in the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Investigative Committee, the State Customs Committee.
The responsibility of customers of targeted training will be increased. They will be obliged to reimburse the funds spent on training a specialist in the event of failure to fulfill the contract for targeted training or its unjustified termination (currently such an obligation is provided for only by the relevant contract).
The list of educational areas has been expanded, the acquisition of education in which requires approval by a higher/local executive and administrative body of the educational institution's decision on the redirection of graduates/young specialists sent to work.
Graduates who are classified as orphans and children left without parental care will not have to reimburse the state for the funds spent if it is impossible to provide them with new jobs when they are redistributed in populated areas where they are assigned residential premises/included in the lists of those in need of better housing conditions.
The President's scholarship will be available to individuals receiving paid education in state and private educational institutions.
The list of children who have priority rights for admission to sanatorium boarding schools has been supplemented with the category of “disabled children” under 18 years of age for the purpose of their social support.
Children with autism spectrum disorders will be provided with speech therapy.
The bill also establishes a requirement for schoolchildren to wear business-style clothing and introduces a new type of social and educational institution – an orphanage at a monastery.
In addition, it is possible to exempt students from examinations on medical grounds upon completion of their studies at the third stage of general secondary education.
