The development prospects of the Vitebsk region's education system were discussed at the regional August pedagogical conference
One of the most important tasks of the Vitebsk region's education system at the present stage remains the popularization of professions in demand in the economy. This was stated by the Chairman of the Regional Executive Committee, Nikolai Sherstnev, at the regional pedagogical conference, which was held on August 25 in Vitebsk.
The traditional event was organized for the first time in a video conference format with the districts, which allowed for the maximum expansion of the number of participants in this crucial event for the region's education system. Reminding about the need to use information technologies in the education and upbringing of the younger generation, Nikolai Sherstnev urged the pedagogical community to actively master the internet space:
— Today, our task is to teach the younger generation to withstand modern challenges and threats, to think critically and analyze, not to give in to emotions and crowd vibrations. The faster technologies develop, the easier it becomes to manage not only processes but also people. Therefore, ideology and technology must go hand in hand.
A great deal of work has been done in the Vitebsk region to create an effective, developing education system, which, according to the results of 2019, was recognized by the Ministry of Education of Belarus as the best in the country.
Over the last 4 years alone, almost 130 million rubles have been directed towards improving the material and technical base of educational institutions, creating modern conditions for educators' work and children's learning, with over 30 million more planned for 2020. Specifically, within the framework of the state program "Education and Youth Policy," 73 physics classrooms, 42 chemistry classrooms, 255 interactive whiteboards, and 19 biology classrooms have been acquired using the republican budget. During this period, 4 kindergartens were built in Vitebsk, Glubokoye, Orsha, and Novopolotsk. This year, a nursery-kindergarten for 94 children is under construction in Postavy. A state-of-the-art secondary school for 1,020 students in Bilevo-2 will welcome its first pupils on September 1st.
In the Vitebsk region, serious attention is paid to strengthening the material and technical base of vocational education institutions, creating conditions for the professional training of qualified specialists in line with the requirements of the latest production technologies. Six resource centers have been established in the cities of Vitebsk, Polotsk, Orsha, and Gorodok in areas such as metalworking and construction, light industry, mechanical engineering, and agriculture. Agrarian classes are operational in 19 districts, and considering the accumulated experience, it is important to make the training in them more substantial.
– Today, young people are working with modern equipment, they see positive changes in the agro-industrial complex, they understand the importance and significance of labor in agriculture, and they know that it is possible to live and receive a decent salary for their work in rural areas. They have no time for rallies, they know firsthand how and by what labor food security of the country is ensured, — noted Nikolai Sherstnev, reminding about the need to create conditions for young specialists to stay at their first job.
In addition, the head of the region once again called for attention to children being raised in low-income, large, foster, and guardianship families, and families in a socially dangerous situation. Every child must be prepared for school, and families must receive targeted assistance and support. Already, over 1.3 million rubles have been allocated from the regional budget for these purposes.
In total, on September 1, in the Vitebsk region, the academic year will begin for more than 112 thousand children and adolescents, including 12.5 thousand first-graders who will go to school.
At the conclusion of the conference, Nikolai Sherstnev performed a pleasant mission, presenting diplomas and letters of gratitude from the Council of Ministers, the Regional Executive Committee, and the Regional Council of Deputies to the best educators of the 2019-2020 academic year. For many years of conscientious work, a high level of professional skill, and a significant personal contribution to the education and upbringing of the younger generation, the badge of the Ministry of Education of Belarus "Excellent Student of Education" was awarded to Irina Orlova, a teacher of the Belarusian language and literature at Babinichi Secondary School in Orsha District, Konstantin Kiselev, director of Vitebsk Gymnasium No. 2, Elena Tokareva, a teacher of Spanish at the same gymnasium, and Tatyana Malinovskaya, deputy director for academic affairs at Novopolotsk Gymnasium No. 2.