BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

19/04/2007

Belarusian Education Minister Opposes European Centres

Education Minister Alyaksandr Radzkou said on April 18 that there is no need for "European information centers on human rights and democracy" at schools of higher learning in Belarus, Belapan reported. Radzkou was responding to a proposal by opposition politician Alyaksandr Milinkevich, who suggested earlier this week in Strasbourg that "Belarusian young people should have the opportunity to obtain firsthand knowledge about Europe and Europeans, human rights, and democracy." Milinkevich's project, "Democracy, education and Europe in Belarus," would provide for the establishment of such centers at all schools of higher learning in Belarus. Their activities would be coordinated by representatives of the Council of Europe or the EU. "We have a special course -- even at school we study this subject in the framework of the 'Man, Society, State' course," Radzkou said. "We believe that this is enough at the current stage," he added. AM

Source:

http://www.rferl.org/newsline/2007/04/3-CEE/cee-190407.asp