The 2019 report on the realization of the Strategic Action Plan on Implementation of the Major Objectives of the Educational System Development in Line with the EHEA Principles and Tools prepared by the Belarusian Independent Bologna Committee, the Ad Hoc Committee of the Belarusian National Platform of the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum and the Belarusian Student Association and the Youth Labour Rights.
The Working Plan to Implement the EHEA Tools in the Higher Education System of the Republic of Belarus in 2019 (hereinafter the “Working Plan”) was endorsed by the Praesidium of the Republican Council of the Higher Education Institutions’ Rectors on 14 February 2019 and approved by the Minister of Education of Belarus on 20 February 2019. On 20 March 2019, the Working Plan was sent to the BFUG.
The positive result of the 2019 Working Plan implementation is openness to the experience of reforming higher education systems in other EHEA countries. However, the European experts’ advice and recommendations have not been converted into laws and regulations implementing the new Bologna architecture, principles and tools.
The monitoring of the Working Plan performance in 2019 has demonstrated a low level of discharging the key commitments ensuring implementation of the Bologna tools and values. The status of the National Higher-Education Qualifications Framework of the Republic of Belarus (BelQF) remains unclear, the Instructions on Calculating the Workload of Higher Education Programmes Applying the Credit Units System has not been reformed pursuant to the 2015 ECTS Users’ Guide, no information about completing preparation of the Programme of Development of the National Higher Education Quality Assurance System is available, no information and regulations to support the procedure for recognising prior learning and no procedure for recognising refugees’ qualifications have been introduced. The Regulations for Sending Teaching Staff for Internship to Institutions of Foreign Countries approved by the Council of Ministers of Belarus have not changed the limitations on academic mobility which had existed before Belarus acceded to the EHEA. No change has occurred as regards teaching staff's and students’ participation in the governance of universities. The issues of the social dimension of higher education and equality of access to it are not on the radar screen of the governmental education policy. The fundamental academic EHEA values are not being implemented as well. A significant shortcoming of the Ministry of Education's work to implement the Strategic Action Plan is limited access to information and insufficient openness. The website at http://by-ehea.info is still unavailable.