Ivanets: Belarus is among the world leaders in accessibility of education, with a ratio of 10-11 students per teacher
16:39, 29 September
Belarus is demonstrating a steady increase in interest in the teaching profession and is among the world leaders in accessibility of school education. This was announced by Education Minister Andrei Ivanets ahead of Teacher's Day, according to a Soyuz.by correspondent.
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According to the minister, at the start of the school year, approximately 114,000 teachers work in Belarusian schools, teaching over 1,050,000 students. Ivanets cited the teacher-to-student ratio as a key indicator of the state's attention to the sector.
"In our country, this figure has remained at 10-11 students per teacher for several years. For comparison, in Western European countries and the United States, this figure is around 15, and the global average is 25," the minister noted. He emphasized that this guarantees equal access to quality education for all children, regardless of their place of residence.
To ensure schools are properly staffed, the country has built a multi-tiered training system. More than 5,000 young specialists enter the education sector annually. According to the minister, over 70% of them remain in school after the mandatory placement period, and in some regions, this figure reaches 90-95%.
"Over the past three years, enrollment in teaching programs has increased by approximately 50%. Particular attention is being paid to training teachers in the natural sciences. This year, we doubled the number of students enrolled in the relevant departments at BSU," Ivanets said.
A significant trend has been the conscious professional self-determination of schoolchildren. Almost every third first-year student in teaching programs is a graduate of a specialized pedagogical class. In total, more than 1,350 such graduates were accepted into 4,000 state-funded places this year.
The minister also cited the continuous professional development of teachers as another important aspect. Last academic year, an online school was launched on the "LET'S LEARN TOGETHER.BEL" portal, where teachers can take courses on the most relevant topics, including artificial intelligence, digitalization, and parent-child relationships. Currently, approximately 2,300 teaching staff are undergoing retraining.
