Belarus Schools Teach Propaganda Highlighting Successes While Ignoring Economic Struggles

Belarusian schools across the country began the new academic year with a mandatory ideological lesson titled “I Know What It Means to Be a Citizen of Belarus,” reflecting the government’s intensified efforts to instill patriotic values in the nation’s youth. The state-mandated curriculum paints a rosy picture of Belarus’s achievements while conspicuously omitting any mention of the country’s significant economic challenges.

During these sessions, teachers were instructed to emphasize Belarus’s alleged accomplishments, particularly highlighting its supposed status as the only former Soviet republic to surpass its 1990 economic production levels. Officials claim the nation has achieved an impressive GDP growth of 156% compared to Soviet times. The lesson material also celebrates Belarus’s purported achievements in manufacturing, agriculture, and its placement in international development rankings.

However, economic experts and independent analysts paint a starkly different reality. Belarus faces a multitude of serious economic problems that have been deliberately excluded from the classroom discussions. The country struggles with a mounting external debt that reached $39.3 billion earlier this year, representing over half of its annual GDP. Inflation continues to plague consumers, with prices rising 5.8% year-on-year as of July.

“These propaganda lessons present a carefully curated version of reality that bears little resemblance to the actual economic situation,” said an economist from a European think tank who requested anonymity due to security concerns. “Students are not being given the full picture of Belarus’s economic challenges, which does them a disservice in understanding their country’s true position.”

The ideological classes also gloss over Belarus’s problematic demographic trends. The country’s population has declined by nearly one million people since gaining independence, dropping from 10.2 million in 1991 to approximately 9.2 million today. This significant demographic shift receives no attention in the official curriculum.

Belarus’s economic relationship with Russia, upon which it heavily depends, is presented in an exclusively positive light. Teachers are directed to emphasize the benefits of Belarusian-Russian integration while omitting mention of economic vulnerabilities resulting from this dependency. The country’s economy relies heavily on subsidized Russian energy and preferential access to Russian markets, creating significant economic exposure should these arrangements change.

The educational directive comes amid President Alexander Lukashenko’s tightened grip on power following disputed elections in 2020 that sparked massive protests. Since then, his government has intensified efforts to control information and shape public opinion, particularly among young people who were notably active in the demonstrations.

Education experts view these ideological lessons as part of a broader strategy to strengthen political control. “When education becomes a vehicle for state propaganda rather than critical thinking, it undermines the very purpose of learning,” said Dr. Elena Korosteleva, Professor of International Politics at the University of Kent, who specializes in Eastern European politics.

The contrast between official narratives and economic reality has become increasingly pronounced in recent years. While the government touts Belarus as an “IT country” with a developed technology sector, the political crackdowns following the 2020 protests led to a significant exodus of IT professionals, undermining one of the few genuinely successful segments of the Belarusian economy.

Independent media outlets, most now operating from exile, report that many teachers feel uncomfortable delivering these ideological lessons but fear professional consequences if they deviate from the approved script. The mandatory sessions reflect a Soviet-style approach to education, prioritizing ideological conformity over analytical thinking.

Parents interviewed by independent journalists expressed concern about the politicization of education. “I want my children to learn facts and develop critical thinking, not memorize political slogans,” said one Minsk parent who spoke on condition of anonymity.

As Belarus continues to navigate economic hardships exacerbated by international sanctions and its increasing isolation from Western markets, the gap between classroom narratives and economic reality is likely to widen further, raising questions about how long such contradictions can be sustained in the minds of the country’s youth.