Pralyaskouski studies students' sentiments (Photo)

“Nasha Niva” editorial office has received a questionnaire called “Students’ opinion on universities and different aspects of their life”.

It is stated on the cover that the questionnaire was crated in May 2008 by the Informational and analytical centre of the presidential Administration, currently headed by Aleh Pralyaskouski. It is reported that the questionnaire was circulated among students of one of Minsk universities.

The survey offers to answer 76 questions. Among them are questions concerning students’ life and besides, some aspects of social and political life, like participation in the imminent parliamentary and presidential elections, attitude towards Belarusian language and others. For instance, students are asked to answer what candidate they are going to support in the imminent parliamentary vote, and in the presidential election, if it was held the next day.

It is worth mentioning that oppositional candidates were mentioned among the variants of answers, and Alyaksandr Kazulin and Alyaksandr Milinkevich were mentioned as presidential candidates. Besides, respondents were to evaluate the role of opposition in the society and answer which ideas and programs of political parties appeal to them most (all oppositional parties are mentioned).

Question No. 24 aims to find out whether the today’s students consider the state attention to development of the national culture is sufficient. The next question concerns the Belarusian language: “Are you satisfied with the situation of the Belarusian language in the country?” another question questions about a student’s affiliation with the Belarusian Republican Youth Union.

Respondents are also offered to tell about their likings concerning historical personalities (three personalities). Among them are: VItaut, Kastus Kalinouski, Tadevush Kastsyushka (Kościuszko), Vaclav Havel, and also Iosif Stalin, Peter I, Yury Andropau. The ideal politician among foreign personalities is proposed to be found among Hugo Chavez, Fidel Castro, Nursultan Nazarbayev, Hillary Clinton and others.

The international topic is continued by the question about the global issues worrying the modern student most. The answers include tense relations of Belarus and the EU countries, the US sanctions against Belneftekhim, and problems in relations with Russia, as well as an “openly and increasingly aggressive policy of the US against Belarus and other countries”.

A number of questions dedicated to obligatory employment of university graduates. One of the questions is whether future experts know about financial liability for a failure to arrive to the employment place.

A separate section is dedicated to questions on favorite mass media. Not only state-run printed media are offered for selection, and Polish and Lithuanian TV channels are among the answers.

Summing up, it could be said that the topics and the choice of the questions make the results of the survey extremely interesting. The question is, whether they will be published and available for the public.