{"id":93062,"date":"2024-06-27T22:34:24","date_gmt":"2024-06-27T19:34:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/93062\/"},"modified":"2026-02-24T20:40:57","modified_gmt":"2026-02-24T20:40:57","slug":"belarus-educational-policy-a-repression-instrument-expert","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/93062\/","title":{"rendered":"Belarus’ educational policy a repression tool \u2013 expert"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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\n\n Kaciaryna Dejka\u0142a (right) and psychologist Volha Viali\u010dka\n <\/div>\n \n
\n (Pozirk)<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

June 27, Pozirk.<\/em><\/strong> Repression in Belarus is more than just persecution of political opponents, as it has become part of “the daily systemic policy of the state” in all spheres of public life, such as education, Kaciaryna Dejka\u0142a, of the Belarusian Helsinki Committee (BHC), has said at a conference on children’s rights in Vilnius.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Educational policy is an instrument of repression. The state (the de facto government) uses it to shape children’s consciousness,” she said, adding that it is also “part of the so-called Russian soft power, which is present in Belarus in a very large concentration.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The BHC expert pointed out that school education “has always been ideologized” to some extent, but the situation has worsened after the 2020 postelection protests and Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to Dejka\u0142a, the regime influences children both within the educational process, by introducing textbooks censored by numerous security agencies, and outside it, by involving children in pro-government events.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The government has been holding more events involving officials and Orthodox clerics focused on anti-Western and anti-Belarusian indoctrination that are “extremely destructive for children’s psyche.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She went on to say that officials implant “a dichotomous model of perception” with Belarus and Russia being friends and the Western countries being enemies. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Children are taught to treat illegal, forceful methods and actions as normal because officials justify war and use Russian narratives,” she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On anti-Belarusian messaging, Dejka\u0142a said that children are banned from expressing themselves with national symbols, such as the white-red-white flag and the Pahonia coat of arms. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Teachers abuse these symbols by associating them with Nazism and portray the 2020 protesters as Nazis, she added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“It is important to understand that this is not only about ideology,” she said. “This is a violation of children’s rights. Everything related to [hindering the formation of] national identity and [distorting the perception of] national symbols is a violation of cultural rights. And the rest is a violation of the rights to education and freedom of expression, a set of civil and political rights that every child has from birth.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dejka\u0142a noted that some teachers are trying to “mitigate” the repressive educational policies, but many are increasingly prone to self-censorship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to the human rights activist, the recent closure of private schools and kindergartens by the government is also an element of repression because it deprives parents of the opportunity to reduce the ideological influence on their children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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