General secondary education

General secondary education is a level of basic education aimed at the spiritual, moral, and physical development of the student's personality, preparing them for a full life in society, mastering the basics of science, the official languages of the Republic of Belarus, skills of mental and physical labor, forming moral convictions, cultural behavior, aesthetic taste, and a healthy lifestyle, readiness for independent life choices, the beginning of working activity, and further education.

General secondary education includes three levels:

• Level I – primary education (grades I–IV), grants the right to continue education at Level II of general secondary education;
• Level II – basic education (grades V–IX), grants the right to continue education at Level III of general secondary education, as well as at the levels of vocational-technical and secondary specialized education;
• Level III – secondary education (grades X–XI, evening classes – X–XII), grants the right to continue education at the levels of vocational-technical, secondary specialized, and higher education.
• Levels I and II of general secondary education constitute general basic education, the period of obtaining it is nine years.
• Levels I, II, and III of general secondary education constitute general secondary education, the period of obtaining it is eleven years (in evening classes – twelve years).

The period of obtaining general secondary education:

• general basic education is nine years;
• general secondary education is eleven years (in evening schools, evening classes – twelve years).

The duration of study at the levels of general secondary education is:

• at Level I – four years;
• at Level II – five years;
• at Level III – two years (in evening schools, evening classes – three years).

For reference:

Institutions of general secondary education can be of the following types: primary school; basic school; secondary school; evening school; gymnasium; boarding gymnasium; lyceum; specialized lyceum; Suvorov school; cadet school; boarding school for orphans and children left without parental care; sanatorium boarding school; educational and pedagogical complex; inter-school educational and production center for labor training and vocational guidance; inter-school center for pre-conscription training. Special attention is paid to those located in rural areas, where students are transported to larger institutions of general secondary education. School buses are used to organize transportation for students.

The main languages of instruction and upbringing in institutions of general secondary education are the official languages of the Republic of Belarus – Belarusian and Russian.

The Republic has created conditions for citizens who belong to a national minority to study in their native language, to study the culture and traditions of their people. The Education Code of the Republic of Belarus stipulates that, in accordance with the wishes of students and their legal representatives, classes or groups in general secondary education institutions, or institutions of general secondary education where education and upbringing are conducted in the language of a national minority or the language of a national minority is studied, may be established by decision of local executive and administrative bodies, согласованному with the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Belarus.

For reference:

Currently, there are 4 general secondary education institutions in the Republic of Belarus where education and upbringing are conducted in the language of a national minority: 2 schools with Polish-language instruction and 2 with Lithuanian.