The Ministry of Education told how unique the current season of the contest “Teacher of the Year of the Republic of Belarus”

The decisive tests of the republican competition of professional skills "Teacher of the Year of the Republic of Belarus - 2026" are in full swing. From September 21 to October 2, Minsk hosts the final stage of a large-scale competition that brought together the best teachers of the country and once again demonstrated the high potential of the Belarusian education system. About how the final days of the competitions and what is unique this season, said Deputy Minister of education Alexander Kadlubay, writes sb.by.

The speaker emphasized the main objective of the competition:

The Teacher of the Year competition has been a powerful impetus for the development of the education system for many years, opening up bright, enterprising teachers. Their professionalism and citizenship form high standards for the entire industry. Let me remind you that the history of the project began in 1991 on the initiative proposed in 1989 on the pages of the “Teachers’ Gazette”. Today it is a competition with a rich history and names, which traditionally takes place in four stages: school, district, regional and republican.

The scale is impressive: more than 10 thousand teachers from all over the country took part in the qualifying rounds of this season. In 2026, the competition is held in nine nominations, two of which are new.

- Last time we conducted a successful pilot project for young teachers and young directors. Having seen great interest and demand from the pedagogical youth, we integrated them into the overall competitive process. Now young cadres compete on a par with experienced colleagues, Alexander Kadlubay explained.

Certain criteria apply for participation in the categories “young teacher” and “young director”: age up to 31 years inclusive and work experience up to 5 years at the time of the competition announcement.

A total of 63 people (23 men and 40 women) participate in the final stage. The average age of the participants is 35 years. It is noteworthy that the geography of the final is wide: both urban and rural educational institutions are adequately represented.

The competition program is saturated, the interlocutor emphasizes, includes master classes, open lessons, comprehensive written works, briefings, discussions and the main mini-lesson:

- According to the results of this struggle, the best teacher will be determined in each nomination - only 9 finalists will reach the superfinals, where a separate jury will evaluate their final events and name the absolute winner - "Teachers of the Year of the Republic of Belarus - 2026". The Head of State pays special attention to the competition, and thanks to this support, the main prize is impressive – a car worth 1,400 base units. This, of course, adds to the teachers healthy excitement.

In addition, the Ministry of Education adopted a decision that has been applied for the first time: the finalists of the competition automatically receive serious prestigious bonuses. Of the 63 participants, 37 already have the highest category and now have the right to apply for the teacher-methodist category without unnecessary procedures. Participants with the first qualification category are also exempted from passing the appropriate exam at the Institute for Educational Development and can apply for the highest category. This is logical: the Republican final in itself is the highest examination platform.

The culmination will be October 1-2, when our finalists will be able to take part in the events of the Congress of Education Workers of the CIS Member States in Belarus. And the name of the absolute winner we will learn on October 2 in the Palace of the Republic at a solemn event dedicated to Teachers’ Day. Ministry of Education: Teacher of the Year contest is the main platform for popularizing the pedagogical profession in Belarus