Ex-rector: "Saving on education is the worst kind of economy”
Alyaksandr Kazulin has commented on Alyaksandr Lukashenka’s statement about the necessity to reduce the period spent as a student.
Euroradio: Having visited Horki Academy, Alyaksandr Lukashenka claimed that it was necessary to reduce the period spent as a student by 25% because “our people studied too long”. How do you think, for what professions can this term be reduced?
Kazulin: "Reforms in education should not be carried out whenever you want them, they should be well thought-out. The education system is very conservative and its reforms will affect the society later. Moreover, the system of education is the basis of the state and its development and if it is bad, it means the state is bad too. If somebody wants to make Belarus a banana republic, the reforms suggested by the President can be carried out”.
Euroradio: If the term of education was reduced, how would it affect the quality of education and does the Belarusian education need any reforms now?
Kazulin: "Our education is rather low-quality now and you need to increase the expenses to carry out reforms instead of cutting them. The President suggested it only because the country lacks money now so we are simply trying to blame something the needs development for these issues and problems”.
Euroradio: It turns out that the education term may be reduced because we need to save money on education?
Kazulin: "We lack money for everything, not only education. Things that may affect the society and the state in a very bad way may be done to save money. The education system may become even less competitive compared to the education in the other states. Our specialists already have a very hard time looking a job and if the things suggested by the government are approved, it will destroy both the system of education and our future”.
