Opinions & Interviews

MINSK, 18 December (BelTA) – There should be no by-the-book approach to youth policy, Irina Starovoitova, a Belarusian senator, Chairperson of the Commission on Social Policy, Science, Culture, and Humanitarian Affairs of the Belarus-Russia Union State Parliamentary Assembly, told BelTA when summing up the 53rd Union State PA session in Russia’s Bryansk.

The Union State PA decided to set up a Youth Chamber to comprise members of legislatures of all levels, youth parliaments, youth branches of political parties and organizations, public associations. “It is important that no formalistic approach is adopted for youth policy. Young people should be dealing with problems in practice. In particular, they should have an opportunity to put forward amendments to the legislation, which concern their rights and legal interests,” Irina Starovoitova underlined.

In her words, the Youth Chamber will serve as a deliberative and consultative body working on a voluntary basis. This new structure will mainly aim to involve young people in the Union State construction process. The Youth Chamber at the Union State PA is expected to include 40 members (20 Belarusians and 20 Russian citizens aged from 18 to 30).

One of the most important issues on the agenda of the 53rd Union State PA session was the formation of a single education space. “Relevant ministries have been working on ensuring equal rights to affordable high-quality education for Belarusian and Russian citizens,” she stressed.

It is also reasonable for Union State MPs to continue discussing the harmonization of the rules of admission to universities and specialized secondary schools for persons entitled to social benefits, the senator said. She also believes that it is possible to work out common approaches to the structure of higher education and academic degrees: bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, postgraduate education, doctorate, setting up a mechanism of joint accreditation of higher education institutions.