Kyrgyzstan to reform education system

Biškek has announced the activation of a project entitled 'Contemporary Teacher' and implemented in cooperation with the international NGOs of the Teach for All network. The project will start in the Čuj region, the northernmost and most backward in the country, betting on creativity. 

Bishkek (AsiaNews) - The Council of Ministers of Kyrgyzstan has announced the start of reforms in the education system at a national level, but as the ministry officials themselves confess, it will not be possible to do anything without the support of international funding, and to this end at this point the relationship with the NGOs active in the area will become decisive.

Education is the main social elevator, and Kyrgyzstan intends to emerge from the fog of ancient and Soviet legacies, which create tensions and contradictions internally and in the country's external relations.

In line with the desired reforms, the Zamanbap mugalim (“Contemporary Teacher”) project was activated in Kyrgyzstan, entrusted to the Teach for Kyrgyzstan foundation, which follows the principles developed by the Teach for All organization, created in 2007.

It is a international network that brings together independent associations from all over the world for various social works, aimed at raising the level of education in various countries.

A presentation was made in recent days in Bishkek, in which the participants discussed not only the need to include new criteria for the Kyrgyz world of education, but also the problems and risks that these activities entail.

One of the main slogans was “let's build a community of creative people”, in Kyrgyz žaratmany, talented teachers who are not indifferent to broader goals, motivated to strive for continuous personal and community growth, who know the most advanced methodologies and are willing to help kids express their full potential.

The start of the selection of those who want to become a pedagogue at this level has been announced, with refresher courses starting next summer.

The project will start from the Čuj region, the northernmost and most backward region of Kyrgyzstan, where at least three teachers of the Zamanbap mugalim will be sent to 10 schools (out of 314 locally). One of the most illustrious professors in the country, Gapyr Madaminov, spoke to illustrate the initiatives.

His innovative methods were used in the experimental gymnasium in the province of Lejlek, in the Batken region, assigning him the effective title of "contemporary teacher". In his opinion "today in our country there are serious imbalances in the educational system, depending on the various population centres, and the new pedagogues must understand that to make our children become creative we must be able to free their brains, not load them with information that does not I am able to assimilate."

Together with the organizers of the project, supported by the Ministry of Education and Science of Bishkek, the US embassy in Kyrgyzstan and some private Kyrgyz commercial companies, such as the Ololo group, also made themselves available.

One of the initiators of the support network, Danijar Amanaliev, launched an appeal to all entrepreneurs in the country to make available not only cash offers, but above all spaces and premises, and other possible forms of technical, professional and human support. He reiterates that "we must not always wait for others to arrive from outside, let's put our forces together, it is about the future of our children and our country".

Solidarity with reform and innovation initiatives in the educational field was also expressed by Kamila Šaršekieva, rector of the International University of Central Asia, who offers the institute's methodological capabilities to the project.

It also observes that "there are still very few philanthropists among our businessmen, who only think about accumulating capital... we must grow in our psychology and mentality, understand that it is not just about winning, but also about making others happy, then yes that is a complete victory”.

Some concerns arise from the recent approval of the law on "foreign representatives" in Kyrgyzstan, hoping that its effects will not reflect negatively on the world of education.