Education System of Belarus
Geographical Location
Belarus is situated in Eastern Europe, bordered by Latvia and Lithuania to the north, Russian to the east and north, Poland to the west, and Ukraine to the south.
Education Profile of Belarus
The Ministry of Education administers the education system in Belarus. Education in Belarus is free of charge at all public educational institutions, from pre-primary until the higher education. The present educational structure of Belarus was formed by decree in 1994 Act of the Republic of Belarus. Education in Belarus is compulsory for all children aged 6 to 15.
Pre-primary Education
Pre-primary education in Belarus is optional, and is offered by nursery schools and kindergartens. This educational level uses an integrated approach to maintain the social, intellectual, emotional and physical development of children. This level provides a school-like environment, and develops skills required for learning in school.
General Secondary Education
- Primary education of 4 years
- Basic secondary education of 5 years
- Upper secondary education of 2 years
Primary Education
Primary education in Belarus is compulsory for all children aged 6 to 10. Primary education in Belarus provides fundamental skills in mathematics, reading and writing. This educational level builds a basis for learning, and personal as well as social development.
Basic Secondary Education
Basic secondary education in Belarus is compulsory for children aged 10 to 15. Students who have completed primary education are eligible for basic secondary education. This educational level prepares students for higher level studies, and emphasize on specific items and theoretical concepts.
Upper Secondary Education
Upper secondary education in Belarus is optional, and is of 2 years duration. Upper secondary education prepares students for higher education or for workforce. This educational level provides pupils in-depth and specialized study of subjects.
Secondary Vocational Education
Secondary vocational education last for 2 to 4 years, depending on the discipline. This educational level offers vocational guidance and training to pupils to enter the labour
market
.
Specialized Secondary Education
This educational level provides training in a specific field, and develops professional skills and competencies. This educational level offers programmes that last for 2 to 4 years.
Higher Education
Higher Education Qualifications
- Bachelor degree: This degree is of 4 years duration, and provides theoretical as well as practical knowledge and skills. This qualification is offered by universities and equivalent higher education institutions in Belarus.
- Master’s degree: This degree is of 1-2 years duration
- Doctorate degree: This degree is of 3 years duration, and requires preparation of an in-depth and original research. Doctoral programmes are offered in professional as well as academic fields. This degree programme ends after presenting and defending a doctoral thesis, and leads to the title of Doctor of Science.
Higher Education Institutions
In Belarus, there are both public and private higher education institutions. Following are the types of higher education institutions in Belarus:
- Classical university
- Academy/Profile University
- Higher college
- Institute
Admission Requirements
Students must have completed high school/upper secondary education in order to gain admittance to the first-level higher education in Belarus. Admission requirements vary by level of study and programme. For detailed information on the admission requirements and procedure for higher education in Belarus, click
here.
Grading System
A 10-point grading scale is used by the educational institutions in Belarus.
| Grading Scale | Expected Knowledge | Grade description (In English) | Grade description (In Belarusian) | US Grade |
| 10.00 | 95-100% | Outstanding | Вельмі выдатна | A+ |
| 9.00 | 90-94% | Excellent | Выдатна | A |
| 8.00 | 85-90% | Nearly Excellent | Амаль выдатна | A-minus- |
| 7.00 | 80-84% | Very Good | Вельмі добра | B+ |
| 6.00 | 70-79% | Good | Добра | B |
| 5.00 | 65-69% | Nearly/Almost Good | Амаль добра | B-minus- |
| 4.00 | 50-64% | Very Satisfactory/More than Sufficient | Вельмі здавальняюча | C+ |
| 3.00 | 40-49% | Satisfactory/Sufficient | Здавальняюча | C |
| 2.00 | 30-39% | Strongly Insufficient | катэгарычна вашым | D |
| 1.00 | <30% | Very Poor | вельмі бедны | F |
Language of Instruction
The official language of instruction in Belarus is Belarusian and Russian. Education in Belarus is available in 8 national minority languages: Belarusian, Russian, Romani, Polish, Lithuanian, Hebrew, Ukrainian, and Estonian.
Academic Year
The Academic Year in Belarus commences in September and ends in June. The academic year is split up into 2 semesters.
- First semester commences in September and ends in January.
- Second semester commences in February (10 Feb) and ends in June (30 June).
Examinations are held in January and June. There is a long vacation from July until end of August in Belarus.
International Students
Entry requirements: International students who wish to study in Belarus must have a
student visa. For some country nationals, Belarusian visa is issued on arrival to Minsk airport, Belarus.
National Bodies
Ministry of Education of the Republic of Belarus
The Ministry of Education manages the education system at all levels in Belarus. The Ministry of Education formulates the state education policies, manages the quality of education in the country, and grants accreditation and licenses to the new institutions.
Contact details:
Mailing address:
9, Sovetskaya St., 220010, Minsk
Tel.: 375 17 227-47-36
Fax: 375 17 200-84-83
Email: root@minedu.unibel.by
National Institute for Higher Education
The National Institute for Higher Education is in charge for educational research and information on tertiary/higher education. The National Institute for Higher Education also offers training courses to the new department heads, rectors and deans.
Contact details:
Ul. Moskovskaja 15
Minsk 220001
National Centre for Evaluation and Recognition, Belarusian ENIC
The ENIC is responsible for the recognition of foreign qualifications and studies, and evaluation of the experience or studies undertaken abroad.
Contact details:
Foreign Credentials Assessment Department (Belarusian ENIC)
Moskovskaja Str. 15, room 219
220007, Minsk, Belarus
Phone: 375 17 228 13 13
Fax: 375 17 222 83 15
Website: http://www.nihe.bsu.by
Processing...