| There are 18 schools, 14 kindergartens, 10 houses of culture, 16 clubs, and 26 libraries in the district. As it follows from the figure (figure), the number of educational facilities has sharply declined versus 1986. Generally, in the district, there are 283 teachers per 2,403 pupils. There is no understaffing of teachers.  Figure. The number of educational institutions in the Bragin District as compared between 1986 and 2001.
The number of preschool institutions for children in the district is 14, with the enrolment of 621. There are 74 teachers and educators. As of 1 January, 2003, there were 52 institutions of culture and entertainment (houses of culture, clubs and libraries). However, as compared to 1986, they have reduced in number by two. The number of community services providers has radically shrunk. While in 1986 their number was 38, today only 16 community services providers operate in the district (including 2 in urban and 14 in rural areas). The number of trade centres in the district is 95; 34 points of sale are located in urban and 61 in rural areas. There is a clear need for mass awareness-raising activities targeting villagers. This work is on the top priority list. Local people say that only knowledge will help them overcome fears. There is a lack of education and information activities that are actually becoming even smaller in scale. Programmes on radioecological education of population should be geared toward various sets of persons: different children ages and adult groups having different educational and professional background. Ecological awareness and training should be organized in schools, kindergartens and libraries. This can be done through close collaboration of experts of different level with local authorities, education and economy professionals and the local population. The best results can be attained by involving local teachers into a continuous process of ecological education; it is also expedient to make use of experience of local teachers and their knowledge of specific features of the schoolchildren. Additionally, it is recommended to enlist support of the local administration, medical staff, and agricultural experts. They stay in close touch with the local population and can provide needed information (including radioecological data). Environmental education is a very labour-intensive process. A complex economic situation in the country, low salaries of rural population and limited opportunities for private business in agriculture make population in the affected areas highly dependent on their private farming, gathering of berries and mushrooms and consumption of wild game, which is rather dangerous for the health due to contamination of food products. People are facing persistent financial problems, a sense of hopelessness, and a permanent psychological stress, which aggravates their state of health and increases their morbidity. Ecological education can help children bring success to their home and share it with their fellow villagers. Consequently, the new generation will be the agent of radiation ecology culture for the adults. Ecological education will help increase the general ecological awareness among the population, allowing people living in the contaminated areas to develop safe living practices, make adaptations to adverse environmental impact and improve conditions of life and work. Population of the affected areas will build interest in and demand for radiation ecology information and will form a new and better level of ecological thinking and culture. | 
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