On 7 August the education minister Uladzimir Radzkou and the first deputy head of the presidential administration Anatol Rubinau (who is called the main ideologist of a new school reform) had a meeting with journalists to discuss the results of the entrance exams to the high schools of Belarus.

This year 85 000 students entered the higher educational establishments. About 50 000 will study full-time. According to Mr. Radzkou, the most popular profiles are jurisprudence, economics, state management, international relations and foreign languages. Some new specialities were opened this year.

Anatol Rubinau expressed a positive opinion about a novelty introduced this year for matriculates to some specialities, including journalist, international relations, international law and a number of others. Since this year the young people have to pass an interview.

The deputy head of the Belarusian Helsinki Committee Harry Pahaniaila has a different opinion. ‘I am extremely negative about this procedure, when not knowledge is checked, but when people are asked about their political and public views. It does not do any good. Such things contradict to the Constitution and to the international human rights undertakings of our country. These interviews are just additional official barriers that can be put to a matriculate to deprive him/her of the constitutional right to education.’