|
Belarus EDUCATION, HEALTH, AND WELFARE
Education
In Belarus education is compulsory for ten years, from
ages
seven to seventeen. Primary school, generally starting at
age
seven and lasting for five years, is followed by an
additional
five years of secondary school. These schools fall into
three
categories: general, teacher training, and vocational.
Institutions of higher education include three
universities, four
polytechnical institutes, and a number of colleges
specializing
in agricultural or technical sciences.
In early 1992, some 60 percent of eligible children
attended
preschool institutions in Belarus. During the 1993-94
school
year, Belarus had 1.5 million children in 5,187 primary
and
secondary schools, 175,400 students in thirty-three
institutions
of higher education, and 129,200 students in 148 technical
colleges. The literacy rate was 100 percent, and the
population
was fairly well educated.
During the communist era, education was mainly
conducted in
the Russian language; by 1987 there were no
Belorussian-language
schools in any of the republic's urban areas. When
Belarusian was
adopted as the country's official language in 1990,
children were
to be taught in Belarusian as early as primary school;
Russian
language, history, and literature were to be replaced with
Belarusian language, history, and literature. However,
Russian
remains the main language of instruction in both secondary
schools and institutions of higher education.
Data as of June 1995
|
