The Kyrgyz government has decided to switch to 12-year education. Why was this decision made and what changes will be implemented?
At the moment, the Ministry of Education has set up a commission consisting of scientists and experts representing different communities. The transition will begin this year, but it is not a quick process and will take place in two stages.
The first stage of transition to 12-year education
The first stage of the gradual transition to 12-year education is scheduled for 2024-2025.
What is planned for the first stage?
- Amendments to legislation in the field of education and healthcare;
- Revision of educational programmes for pre-school, primary, basic and secondary general education, as well as vocational training and retraining programmes for teaching staff;
- Monitoring of the material and technical base of preschool and general education institutions to create conditions for the admission and education of children entering the 1st grade under the new model of education;
- Analysis of existing educational and methodological complexes, such as textbooks, methodological manuals for teachers, etc;
- Procurement of textbooks of international educational programmes in STEM disciplines, including computer science and English, with mandatory adaptation to the state educational standard of school education and further replication.
The second stage of the transition to 12-year education
The second stage of the new learning model implementation, scheduled for 2025-2026, will include:
- Continuing work on the distribution of teaching and learning packages.
- Completion of measures to improve the material and technical base.
- Full integration of an advanced digital platform for admission of children to the 1st grade.
- Implementation of new professional development programmes for working teachers.
- Completion of teacher training for primary school and high school subject teachers.
As part of the 12-year education system, children will start studying in the first grade at the age of six. The first grade programme will be based on the current pre-school programme. Career guidance will also be introduced in high school.
The government of Kyrgyzstan has stated that the transition to a 12-year education model is being implemented to improve students' functional literacy and competencies.
