In this article, the author examines the effects of "pedagogical Chernobyl" in Belarus schools, which stem from the Soviet model, that carry the same defects and shortcomings as the schools of Russia, and the deterioration of the state of health of their children and adolescents. Furthermore, he evaluates the sizes of schoolbooks, in the primary grades, as well as the size of the frequency vocabulary, which includes hundreds of new terms, that creates a large impact in the development of student learning. The author concludes that school reforms of the last few decades have become divorced from education's national roots and the very rich experience of past generations, which is why they are doomed to fail. This is why people will not be able in the next few years to overcome the consequences of the "pedagogical Chernobyl" that the societies of the former Soviet Union and the countries of the "near abroad" confront. (Contains 3 notes.)