Final of the contest “Teacher of the Year of the Republic of Belarus – 2026” starts in Minsk

On Monday, September 21, the final stage of the large-scale republican competition of professional skills "Teacher of the Year of the Republic of Belarus" is solemnly opened in the capital. The best teachers from all over the country will fight for the title of absolute winner for almost two weeks. The details of the prestigious competition were shared by the head of the Department of General Secondary Education of the Ministry of Education Irina Karzhova.

As Irina Karzhova noted, for many years this competition has been a powerful impetus for the development of the national education system. The competition helps to identify the brightest and most enterprising teachers, whose highest professionalism and firm civic position set the standards for the whole sphere. The project itself has a rich history: the first initiative was born back in 1989, and the competition acquired the status of a landmark republican event in 1995. This year, the path to the final traditionally consisted of four tense stages. In total, more than ten thousand teachers took part in the qualifying rounds, and only 63 of them reached the decisive stage.

In 2026, the competition program underwent some changes and now includes nine nominations. Along with the traditional subject areas – from elementary classes to the exact sciences and arts – two completely new categories appeared: “Young Teacher” and “Young Director”. They will be able to manifest themselves promising cadres under the age of 31 with experience in office no more than five years.

If you look at the overall portrait of the finalists of this year, you can note the harmonious fusion of youth and impressive experience. The final stage is attended by 40 women and 23 men, with an average age of 35 years. At the same time, the most experienced contestant was 52 years old, and the youngest - only 24. Participants demonstrate a brilliant level of training: 37 people already have the highest qualification category, and five have the status of “teacher-methodist”. The breadth and geography of the final: 52 specialists work in urban gymnasiums and secondary schools, and 11 teachers defend the honor of rural educational institutions.

Trials for the best teachers of the country begin today in the Small Hall of the Palace of the Republic, where the grand opening and self-presentation of the participants will take place. In the following days, the finalists are waiting for intense competitive weekdays: teachers will conduct master classes and open lessons, as well as write a comprehensive written work. The educational marathon will culminate on September 29. On this day, nine winners in their nominations will converge in the superfinal on the stage of the National Center for Artistic Creativity of Children and Youth, where they will undergo a briefing “Conversations about the main thing” and hold a public mini-lesson.

The program will end on October 2 on the main stage of the Palace of the Republic with a grand ceremonial closing. This is where the name of the absolute winner will be named. And on the eve of this exciting event, on October 1, the finalists will have time to take part in another significant event - the IX Congress of Teachers and Education Workers of the CIS Member States.