Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya addresses Belarusian parents and children on September 1, when the school year starts in Belarus.
The start of the school year is always about the future – both personal and shared. It is the day when parents, children, and teachers look ahead with hope and expectation. In her address, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya spoke about how even under the regime’s pressure, there remain things it cannot take away: the dedication of teachers, the love of parents, and the children’s desire to learn and to dream.
“School is a kind of mirror of the country. If there is room for freedom and respect within it, the country itself breathes freely. Today, in Belarusian schools, everything is counted and controlled down to the smallest detail, and the system demands silence and obedience to orders from above. But there are things no authority can forbid. This is the dedication of teachers who, despite working as if underground, continue to open the world to children. This is the love of parents for their children – the force that drives us to search for better textbooks, better tutors, and better answers to children’s questions. This is the children’s desire to learn, to discover, and to follow their dreams – even when the system tells them to dream less.
Happy new school year, dear friends! May this path lead you to freedom and new discoveries!”
