Tatiana Shchyttsova: “Let me congratulate all Belarusian children, families with students, and teachers on the start of the school year!
Today, thousands of Belarusian children will go to school in exile. Education in another country is associated with many challenges both for them and their parents — psychological, socio-economic, or bureaucratic. However, there is one undeniable advantage: it does not go hand in hand with ceremonial violence and propaganda manipulations that children in Belarus are systematically subjected to.
Can one receive quality education in today's Belarus?
As long as we limit ourselves to what the regime has to offer and what schools and universities teach, no quality education is available to Belarusians. This applies not only to social and humanitarian sciences. To be an educated person, one needs more than just to master a certain field and be an "experienced person" in a specific area, perhaps even a scholar. An educated person is much more than a professional.
In today's world, being educated means:
— being able to think independently and critically (this is the best protection against indoctrination and manipulation by any propaganda);
— understanding one's socio-cultural background and socio-cultural identity;
— understanding the current social context and one's role in it as a professional in a specific field and as a citizen;
— understanding global culture at least on a basic level and being open to intercultural interaction in the modern globalizing world;
— mastering and practicing a culture of communication based on mutual respect and justice;
— understanding key local and global issues and contributing to their public discussion and solution to the best of one’s ability.
Today, education helps people to acquire both knowledge and a sense of dignity; it connects different cultures and gives an understanding of interdependence between different nations in a global context. The regime’s policy in the field of education is leading the country in the opposite direction, towards barbarism and degradation. The study of foreign cultures is not welcomed; educational programs are developed involving law enforcement bodies; teachers and scientists who do not want to engage in propaganda are dismissed; and any criticism of the regime leads to repression. The system is aimed at training loyal officers for the regime, not modern educated people.
In this difficult time for Belarus, self-education and informal communication play a significant role since they have an educational effect. The Internet provides excellent opportunities for cross-border communication and online learning in various fields. In this regard, the new Belarusian exiled community, including independent media, cultural figures, scientists, and educators, today bears responsibility for creating quality educational online content that would be available to children and youth in Belarus. And we know that such content is emerging and becoming increasingly diverse.
The education team of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s Office has released a brief guide on educational opportunities for schoolchildren of different ages.
Quality education is the foundation of a good society.
Happy Knowledge Day to everyone who knows the worth of proper education!”
