After the failure of the 2020 Belarusian Democratic Revolution, the political regime in the country had turned toward rapid modification from authoritarian to totalitarian. This political trend is clearly seen in the development of the sphere of education. There are several processes which indicate it: political indoctrination, militarization, continuation of severe political repressions, elimination of all forms of non-governmental education institutions. They are accompanied by Russification conducted both by Belarusian regime and Russian “soft power” institutions,  and overall decline of the system of education in general.  

The purpose of the Policy Paper is to provide comprehensive outlook of the system of education in the Republic of Belarus and the major trends of it development. It focuses mainly on the actual events of 2024 calendar year, but in some cases overlaps several last years because of the natural delay in providing of statistical data. The research is based on the open  information in official resources, media, social networks, as well as on those provided through informal canals of communication.      

Political indoctrination

After 2020, a significant increase in the level of political indoctrination in the entire education system is evident. It is known that Belarusian regime does not have a clearly defined ideology. Its role is played by historical narratives, primarily devoted to the Second World War. The core stone of it at the university level is the compulsory course “The History of Belarusian Statehood”, which was introduced in 2022 and occupied the same place like the History of Communist Party or Marxism-Leninism in the Soviet Union [1].  In 2023, a series of textbooks for schools was published entitled “Genocide of the Belarusian people during the Great Patriotic War”[2]. The textbooks were prepared by employees of the Prosecutor General's Office, and not by professional educators and historians. This is a typical example of the instrumentalization of history. They represent a modernized version of the old Soviet narrative about World War II, with its inherent distortion of facts. The Ministry of Education has issued special recommendations on the use of textbooks starting with primary schoolchildren. These include using them in teaching reading, music and visual arts [3]. There are known cases when presentations on the topic of genocide were held in kindergartens.

Political indoctrination remains the mainstream of the official agenda of the educational sphere in 2024. Officials called “patriotism the foundation of education” at the Republican Pedagogical Council in August, 2024.  [4]. The term patriotism is understood as a synonym for loyalty to the political regime and personally to the president. That is why he defined a teacher as “president's man” and noted that and that "patriotism can only be nurtured by a patriot" [5].

In 2024 indoctrination was expressed in a series of campaigns aimed at political mobilization. They were focused on current events in political life (a single voting day in 2024, preparations for the presidential elections in 2025), as well as calendar dates. Among them, special importance was attached to the so-called Day of National Unity - a relatively recently "invented tradition" of celebrating September 17 - the anniversary of the Soviet occupation of Poland and the inclusion of Western Belarus into the BSSR in 1939. In hundreds of educational institutions across the country, the dictation “Day of National Unity” was held. In the number of cases children were ordered to paint their faces and hands in the colors of the official symbols, to take pictures against the background of the official symbols and to share them in the social networks [6]. Another example of political mobilization was compulsory watching the film "Cultural Code", which is dedicated to the propaganda of official symbols. Other mobilizations were carried out according to a similar scenario, for example, those associated with the Day of Unity of the Peoples of Russia and Belarus, Day of Remembrance for the Victims of the Khatyn Tragedy, etc.

A characteristic feature of 2024 is the consistent lowering of the age limit for political indoctrination, which begins at the kindergarten level. There is ample evidence that children are being forced to participate in political events, including the "Nado" (“You need”) flash mob aimed at supporting president election campaign [8], events in honor of the Day of Unity of the Peoples of Belarus and Russia, or Single election day. In a several kindergartens a special groups for civic-patriotic education "Young Patriots" were opened [9, 10].

As in recent years, in 2024, representatives of the highest level of the regime hierarchy, including judges of the Supreme Court, the Prosecutor General's Office, the Ministry of Defense, and the GUBOPiK (Political police), took an active part in ideological indoctrination.

Militarization

Militarization is going hand by hand with the ideological indoctrination. Militarization means the introduction of military training in high schools and universities, the use of military rhetoric and themes in educational institutions, the organization of military-type summer camps, special children's organizations and classes of a military-patriotic nature, and excursions to military and police units.

By September 2021, the position of head of military-patriotic education was returned to schools in Belarus. Since 2023 the course of “Initial military training” become compulsory for schoolchildren of the elder classes. It includes the study of  a weapons and rules for handling them, the basics of shooting, the use of hand grenades. In addition, high school students “should learn to operate in modern combined arms combat, study the composition and armament of a motorized rifle squad on an infantry fighting vehicle, the engineering equipment of a soldier’s position, and learn what a single trench is” [11]. 

The same course is introduced at the university level in September 2024. In February 2024 all rectors of the state universities passed through short military trainings which was widely mirrored at Belarusian official media.

In 2024 it was announced that in Minsk each school should “create a military-patriotic club or class, a theater, a media center, a museum, a sports club” and that all of the above components are mandatory in the educational space [12].

Republican gathering of Youth Law Enforcement Units was conducted in 2024. It is para-military organization which has several hundred members. The gathering was conducted at the military unit and included “elements of the young fighter course, fire and military medical training, the basics of radiation, chemical and biological protection” [13].

After 2020 the network of about 600 summer camps for military training was established [14]. Interior Minister Ivan Kubrakov declared in 2024 that 135 military-patriotic clubs of the Interior Ministry have been already created in Belarus, where about 5 thousand children and teenagers are involved [15]. It is known that not only Belarusian, but also Ukrainian children deported from regions occupied by Russia are sent to them. There are also a number of symbolic actions. For example: the lyceum at the Belarusian State University was named after Felix Dzerzhinsky, the creator of the Soviet secret services [16].

Political repressions

After 2020 professionals of the sphere of education were and still are subjected to large-scale repression: deprivation of liberty, politically motivated dismissals, intimidation, ban on the profession, etc. According to the human rights organization "Honest University", at the end of October 2023, 5 representatives of the academic community were recognized as a political prisoners, 203 people were dismissed for political reasons, 61 were threatened [17]. These data only partially reflect the reality. It is known that a significant number of repressed university professors and teachers deliberately avoid making public information about themselves based on the reason that this may entail new punishments. A number of victims of repressions reported that they could not be hired even by cleaners. The analysis of official statistics indicates an extraordinary (by 7.9% or 1550 people) reduction in the number of professors of higher educational institutions in 2021-2022. In Minsk alone, the reduction amounted to 900 people. The number of school teachers declined in 6265 persons (5,62%) in the same period [18]. An analysis of internal documents of the Belarusian State University opened by the Belarusian organization “CyberPartisans BY” indicates that at this university alone, about 500 employees (18,5% from all employed) became victims of political repression [19].

In the leading universities the positions of a “deputy rectors for security” were introduced, to which KGB officers were appointed. In a number of cases, former military personnel were appointed as directors of scientific institutes. Particular case – the best lyceum in the country was headed by a former teacher at the KGB Training Institute. This meant the direct subordination of the academic sphere to the security services, which made the repression particularly systematic and special. A significant number of representatives of the administration of universities - rectors, deans, heads of departments and laboratories - are involved in the organization and implementation of pressure on the academic community. It is known the vice-deans for ideology have obligation to monitor social networks. Ideologically “wrong” posts and even likes could be treated as a reason for dismissal.  The same roles at schools are played by the directors and deputy directors for ideology. The repressions were carried out in such a way that their consequences had minimal controversy, including at the international level.

It has become known that in 2024, special commissions have been created at each faculty of the Belarusian State University to conduct loyalty check when concluding new employment contracts. Considering that most professors have short-term contracts for one year, this innovation will affect most of the teaching staff and it means institutionalization of repression in the long term [20].

A characteristic feature of 2024 was the mass intimidation of students and high school students in the form of demonstrative arrests in front of their peers. Previously, such forms were used to prevent drug use and trafficking. In Grodno College, two girls were arrested in front of students for setting fire to the official flag [21].

Another form of mass intimidation is the forced participation of students in political trials. The trials are held in the buildings of educational institutions: the Belarusian State University of Physical Education, the Minsk College of Finance and Economics, the Krichev Agrarian and Construction College, the Minsk College-branch of the Belarusian Trade and Economics University  [22]. In order to create mass intimidation, official media widely covered the arrests and dismissals of teachers [23].

The Belarusian regime continued its policy of complete suppression of all forms of unauthorized activity. In September 2024, there were mass detentions of subscribers to the “Adukavanka” -- Telegram chat, teachers who discussed new educational technologies. The network was declared an extremist organization by the KGB [20].

In order to create mass intimidation, official media widely covered the arrests and dismissals of teachers[24].

In 2024, a new specific form of repression against high school students was recorded. We are talking about a girl who refused to join the BRSM (analogous to the Soviet Komsomol). As a punishment, she was offered to complete her school education not in a gymnasium, but in a vocational school with low quality of education. According to rumors, this is far from an isolated case.

Elimination of the non-governmental sector of education

Belarusian regime is taking consistent steps to establish a complete state monopoly in the field of education. In 2020—2023 29 of 35 private schools were closed [25].

In 2024, the Belarusian regime continued its course of liquidation of the non-governmental education sector. Two private universities have been closed without explanation. The Belarusian University of Law was one of the largest non-state universities founded in 1990. It had three campuses, about 4 thousand students and over 300 professors. [26].  Another closed institution was the Institute of Entrepreneurship. [27].

The wave of liquidations also affected the informal education sector. In 2024, the Veisma Center, which taught children and adolescents in additional education programs, was closed in Lida. The educational center offered developmental classes, as well as English lessons, mental arithmetic, speed reading and intelligence development, programming and robotics [28].

Streamline, the largest network of online and offline language schools in Belarus, which had been operating since 1998, was also closed. It had 14 branches and three training centers in Minsk, Brest and Mogilev. It employed about 200 teachers, including those from abroad, and trained about 7,000 students at a time [27]. Another victim was the Educational Center "Leader", founded in 1999 and offering 230 training programs [29].

In 2024 was also announced that only state educational institutions have the right to organize summer recreational holidays for children. It is reported that the initiative for such a ban comes from Prosecutor General Andrei Shved. In his opinion, individual entrepreneurs allegedly cannot ensure the safety of children, do not develop “patriotic qualities” in them, and people undesirable for the authorities work in the camps themselves [30]. 

Russification and the activity of Russian “soft power”

During the entire period from 1994, the Russian educational system was in full swing. From 2005 to 2020, the share of university students who attended education in the Belarusian language decreased from 0.9% to 0.09%, the share of students in secondary schools – from 23% to 10.7%. Authorities blocked all attempts to establish higher educational institutions, schools, and kindergartens with Belarusian language of instruction. Belarusian-speaking population was converted into the discriminated minority, which was fixed in the UN documents special report on the human rights in Belarus [31].  After 2020 Belarusian authorities also closed all educational institutions of Polish and Lithuanian minorities, including schools and language courses.

Russification is accompanied by the unprecedent scale of activity of Russian soft power institutions in Belarus. “Rossotrudnichestvo” has five branches of in Belarus. Usually the number of branches are not exceeded two. In Belarus “Rossotrudnichestvo” is focused on providing scholarships for the study in Russian universities, which cover full course of tuition on BA level. Since 2019 the number of scholarships increased in 18 times and reached 1300 per year [32]. “Gorchakov Public Diplomacy Support Fund” opened its brunch in Minsk in 2020 and provides a number of scholarships for Belarusian researchers which fill the scholarship’s gap appeared after Western funds stopped collaboration with Belarusian official Higher Educational and Research institutions. “Russkiy Mir Foundation” is also operates at university and high school levels.

There are several new trends in the increasing of the Russian influence in Belarus in 2024. Among them the synchronization of the work of administrative organizations. In May 2024 A joint meeting of the boards of the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation and the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Belarus was held. It was stated that “patriotic education of children is a common task of the education systems of the Russian Federation and Belarus” [33].

Indeed the official collaboration was almost completely focused on ideological issues. The Russian side pushed forward the idea of “the formation of a single military-patriotic space between students of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus." [34] Probably the only non-ideological event was annunciation of the idea of establishing  of  “Network University of High Technologies of the Union State” is being worked out [34].

The Russian pressure was  expressed in the sphere of historical politics. A Memorandum of Understanding has been signed between the Republican Council on Historical Policy under the President Administration and the Interdepartmental Commission on Historical Education under the Russian President. The Memorandum provides for the creation of a Joint Russian-Belarusian Commission on History to prepare joint textbooks on history [36].

Belarusian delegation (up to 630 persons) participated in so called "World Youth Festival" in Russia in April, 2024 used by Russian propaganda for ideological indoctrination [37].

In 2024, the activity of "Russian Houses" increased significantly, and was almost exclusively ideological in nature. The main topics were propaganda of the war in Ukraine, commemoration of the 10th anniversary of the annexation of Crimea, promotion of Putin's personality cult, etc.

Decline of the system of education

Large-scale repression has led to a severe shortage of qualified teachers at all levels of the education system. There are many unofficial reports that at universities the courses are taught by people without an academic degree, subjects are taught by specialists from other fields of knowledge, in schools some teachers are replaced by university students. And there are few cases when graduate pupils teaching classes in elementary school.

According to the report of Minister of education only 30% of university professors engaged in scientific research. There is no anyone Belarusian university in Shanghai and Times Higher Education university rankings in 2024. In QS university ranking the leading  Belarusian State University dropped one hundred points in two last years (from 288 to 387) [38]. Even in the Webometrics rating, which takes into account the indicators of digital activity of universities, the positions of Belarusian universities have significantly decreased over the past 5 years. For example, BSU from 763 to 1202, BNTU - from 2536 to 4376 [39].

In the Academic Freedom Index in 2024 Belarus dropped on 176 position from the list of 179 countries [40]. More and more Belarusian students prefer to get higher education abroad. Within one year – from 2022 to 2023, the number of university students in Belarus dropped in almost 25% (56.000) [41].   

Internationalization

After 2020, Belarus' cooperation in the field of education with Western countries almost completely ceased. This happened, among other things, at the initiative of Western countries. For example, the Bologna Follow-up Group unilaterally suspended communication with the Ministry of Education of Belarus. After this a "self-sufficient" model of education, emphasizing independence from European values and instruments was proclaimed. This change in direction was explicitly articulated by the Minister of Education, who stated in 2023 that Belarusian higher education would develop on its own terms without adhering to European standards. A significant changes following the implementation of the Education Code in September 2022, which marked a departure from the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) and the principles of the Bologna Process, which Belarus had previously committed to.

Academic mobility, a key feature of the Bologna Process, remains heavily restricted. Erasmus program office was closed in Minsk. In general, this did not become a big problem for the Belarusian regime, which had previously not sought active cooperation in this area and limited the access of teachers and students to academic mobility programs.

In 2024, the previously existing restrictions were expanded. In Belarusian State University, for example, all employees are required to fill out a special questionnaire after returning from any trip abroad, except for Russia. They should report about  official and personal contacts during the trip, the presence of relatives and acquaintances abroad, and interest in Belarus on the part of people living abroad [42].

In general, the only thing that interests the regime in the area of ​​internationalization is the increase in the so-called "export of educational services" - incoming academic mobility and the reduction of outgoing mobility. Education Ministry officials report an increase in the number of foreign students (up to 28-30 thousand people) and a reduction in the number of Belarusian students abroad [43].  In fact, official statistics indicate the opposite: from 2022 to 2024, the number of foreign students decreased by 22.6% and amounted to only 18.8 thousand people. This is primarily due to the loss of the Turkmenistan market. The number of students from this country has decreased 5 times over the past 5 years, and the share among foreign students has decreased from 51% to 11%. [44]

Therefore, the main efforts of the Ministry of Education in 2024 were aimed at finding an alternative for Turkmen students. Intensive contacts took place with Uzbekistan and Zimbabwe, during which a fairly large number of documents were signed. Indeed, the number of Uzbek students has been growing rapidly in recent years (more than 5 times) [45].

As for relations with one of the strategic partners in the field of education - China, the intensity of contacts was insignificant and the specific results of cooperation were more ideological than educational in nature. For example, the Round Table “Education of Historical Memory in the Youth of Belarus and China”, the participants of which were the Center for China Studies of the Academy of Management and the Center for Belarus Studies at East China Normal University [45].

Despite the regime's efforts to limit opportunities for studying abroad, the number of Belarusian students there is steadily increasing and significantly exceeds the number of foreign students in Belarus. According to UNESCO statistics, 28 thousand Belarusian students studied abroad in 2022 [47]

Most of Belarusians studied: Poland - 38.3%, Russia - 35%, Germany - 4.2%, Lithuania - 4.1%, Czech Republic - 3.7%, China -3.5%. It is obvious that despite Russia's active policy of attracting students, the majority of Belarusians prefer to study in Western countries (58,3%), including the European Union (55,7%). At the same time, the number and share of Belarusians studying in Russia is gradually decreasing. This is a long-term trend that became apparent in the mid-2010s after the Russian annexation of Crimea. In 2010 31,2 thousand Belarusian students studied in Russia (77%), in 2017 – 15,5 (60%), and in 2022 – 9,8 (35%) [48].

Conclusion

After 2020, the Belarusian education system has undergone significant changes and has been turning into an instrument of total control over students and teachers, ideological indoctrination, preparation for war and Russification. Educational tasks as such play a secondary role, which causes degradation of the education system as a whole.

Recommendations

For decision-makers:

to continue support for conducting needs assessment and elaboration of the complex  strategy of actions in the field of education both inside and outside of Belarus,

to provide special support for vulnerable groups of Belarusian academicians;

For experts, researchers and think-tanks:

to continue monitoring of the main trends in the development of Belarusian education;

to pay special attention to the problem of political repressions in academic environment, support to it victims and accountability;

to elaborate possible adequate response to the challenges of ideological indoctrination and militarization of the field of education;

to establish a Coalition of NGOs capable to formulate and conduct agenda of Belarusian Democratic Forces in the field of education;

For media:

to provide more publications on the destructive role of Russian “soft power”  institutions in the field of education;

to increase the number of publications focused on deep expertise, programs of democratic reforms and cases of best educational practices in the World.

References

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36. Беларусь и Россия учредили совместную комиссию по истории https://belta.by/society/view/belarus-i-rossija-uchredili-sovmestnuju-komissiju-po-istorii-611721-2024/
37. Студентка БНТУ на встрече с Владимиром Путиным https://t.me/bntuby/10071
38. QS World Universities Ranking 2025. Top global universities. https://www.topuniversities.com/world-university-rankings?countries=by
39. Навуковы правал. Беларускія вну страчваюць пазіцыі ў рэйтынгу Webometrics https://euroradio.fm/lichbavy-praval-belaruskiya-vnu-strachvayuc-pazicyi-u-reytyngu-webometrics
40. Academic Freedom Index. Update 2024. https://academic-freedom-index.net/research/Academic_Freedom_Index_Update_2024.pdf
41. За год у Беларусі стала на 60 тысяч студэнтаў менш. Куды яны ўсе зніклі? https://euroradio.fm/za-god-u-belarusi-stala-na-60-tysyach-studentau-mensh-kudy-yany-use-znikli
42. В БГУ обязали сотрудников отчитываться после поездок за границу — ищут шпионов https://euroradio.fm/ru/v-bgu-obyazali-sotrudnikov-otchityvatsya-posle-poezdok-za-granicu-ischut-shpionov
43. Почти 30 тысяч иностранцев обучается в вузах Беларуси https://sputnik.by/20240123/pochti-30-tysyach-inostrantsev-obuchaetsya-v-vuzakh-belarusi-1083008983.html
44. Образование в Республике Беларусь. Статистический буклет. Минск, 2024. С.31.
45. Образование в Республике Беларусь. Статистический буклет. Минск, 2024. С.31.
46. Мониторинг трендов в системе образования Республики Беларусь за период 03.06.2024 — 09.06.2024 гг. https://isans.org/ru/education/education-monitoring/monitoring-trendov-v-sisteme-obrazovaniya-respubliki-belarus-za-period-03-06-2024-09-06-2024-gg-2.html
47. The number of foreign students by country https://data.uis.unesco.org/index.aspx?queryid=3806.
48. Белая книга 2018. Европейские перспективы беларуского высшего образования. Vilnius : VŠĮ «Socialinės ir politinės ekspertizės agentūra», 2018. P.275.