The final decision as to the appropriateness of twelve-year secondary education in Belarus will be taken by the end of May this year. For this, Alexander Lukashenko gave an instruction to appoint an interagency commission with Anatoly Rubinov, First Deputy Head of the Presidential Administration, as its head. The commission is tasked to study all pros and cons of the twelve-year system of secondary education. The final decision will be formalised by the respective enforceable enactment of the Head of State. The task to this effect was set by President Alexander Lukashenko on 17 April at the meeting focused on the subject of the appropriateness of twelve-year secondary education in Belarus.

Attending the meeting, due to the urgency of its topic, were not only members of the Ministry of Education, but also teachers, academics, some parents, chiefs of national and local government bodies. The meeting lasted twice the time that had been initially planned for it.

Twelve-year secondary education is one of the most acute issues relating to development of the education system. 10 years ago Belarus started transition to the twelve-year secondary education system. However, it wasn’t until now that Belarusian school approached an entirely new form of education – specialised education for senior students in the 11^th and 12^th education year.

As yet, Belarus has not embarked on this new path, said the President. “ Therefore it is today that we have approached the last moment when we still can consider and take an objective view of the consequences of the innovations; it’s not too late for us to change our decision if we have good enough reasons for it,” the President said.

The participants of the meeting expressed their points in favour and against switching to the twelve-year secondary education system. Those in favour of the transition said specialised education would help step up the level and quality of education, improve students’ awareness of the social agenda of the country and empower them for conscious professional self-determination. The supporters of this system made their point by bringing positive examples of applying specialised education in some Belarusian schools and secondary education institutions with in-depth education in a number of subjects. In addition, they say, twelve-year education is applied in 169 countries (80 per cent), including in some CIS member states (Kazakhstan, Moldova, Ukraine, Uzbekistan). In 46 countries , students have thirteen - year secondary education programmes .