23 August, Gomel /Valeriy Sidorchik - BELTA/. The knowledge level of Belarusian schoolchildren is quite high. This was stated today in Gomel in a conversation with journalists by the Minister of Education of Belarus, Alexander Radkov, following the regional August meeting of pedagogical workers, BELTA correspondent reports. As an example, the minister cited the recent success of Gennady Korotkevich, a Gomel schoolboy, who became the winner of the XXII International Olympiad in Informatics. "And if we talk about the results of centralized testing, then we should not forget that previously only 2-3 students from a class entered universities. Now everyone is tested, and naturally, not all graduates can receive maximum scores due to the difference in knowledge levels," stated Alexander Radkov. Touching upon the main tasks that pedagogical teams will have to solve in the near future, the minister emphasized that schools should ensure the comprehensive development of students. This means that along with receiving a high level of education, students should grow up healthy. Alexander Radkov noted that computers and information technologies have now become an integral part of people's lives. Complex computer equipment is installed on combine harvesters and tractors, not to mention other areas of activity. "On the other hand, an obsession with computers is taking children away from stadiums," believes Alexander Radkov, "and this is health, willpower, and character quality." Therefore, it is planned to introduce GTO (Ready for Labour and Defence) standards in schools and to pay increased attention to the physical education of the younger generation as a whole. -0-

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