Strengthening the Education System
UNICEF works to ensure the all children are in school, learning and developing to their full potential.
The challenge
According to the latest Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey, Kyrgyzstan maintains high rates of access to primary and basic secondary education of over 98 per cent. But after Grade 9, girls and boys start dropping out of school. As children approach the upper secondary level (grades 10-11), the attendance rate drops to 84 per cent for boys and 90 per cent for girls.
The education system has limited capacity to register and monitor children’s enrolment and attendance at school, or to monitor the quality of teaching and learning in classrooms, as well as school absenteeism. This results in poor learning outcomes.
Recent national assessments of students in Grade 4 and Grade 8 revealed that only about half of students could demonstrate basic proficiency in reading, mathematics, and science.
These poor learning outcomes have been consistent across different assessments conducted over the past 15 years, including the Programme of International Student Assessment (PISA).
The long-term learning crisis in Kyrgyzstan raises serious concerns about the quality of education, teachers’ qualifications and pedagogical approaches, and children’s ability to acquire foundational knowledge and competencies that will enable them to participate effectively and productively in life.
Without quality education, children face considerable barriers to employment later in life. They are more likely to suffer adverse health outcomes and less likely to participate in decision-making that affects them, threatening their ability to shape a better future for themselves and their societies.
Education is especially important for children who are out of school or at risk of dropping out, and for children living in disadvantaged communities who are affected by circumstances over which they have no control, such as children living in poverty; children with disabilities; children affected by stunting, migration, violence, or child marriage; and children belonging to minority language groups.
The solution
UNICEF has been a leading partner of Kyrgyzstan in the education sector. Over the years, we helped to improve infrastructure, train teachers, and develop. We work with the Ministry of Education and Science and its partners to ensure that all children and adolescents, including those with disabilities, have access to inclusive quality education from their early years.
As Kyrgyzstan transitions from an 11-year to a 12-year education system, continuous professional development for school leaders, teachers, and other education stakeholders is essential.
UNICEF recognizes school principals and teachers as central to this significant reform. To support them, we are actively involving them in consultations, where possible, and providing opportunities for capacity building in instructional leadership, as well as mentoring and peer-support networks.
This work will be coupled with the capacity development of middle-tier professionals such as district education officers and district pedagogical supervisors that serve to bridge between central policies and classroom teaching and learning.
Such opportunities are especially important for principals and teachers in rural areas who often feel isolated and disconnected from educational networks with their limited exposure to new teaching pedagogies and best practices.
UNICEF is working with the Ministry of Education and Science to enhance state educational standards for preschools and general schools, placing greater emphasis on competency-based education and the principles of gender equality, inclusiveness, and climate resilience. By supporting curriculum reform, UNICEF aims to modernize teaching practices and improve children's learning outcomes, particularly in foundational literacy, numeracy, and transferable skills.
Additionally, we are collaborating with the government and civil society to strengthen policies and strategies that help youth develop life skills and competencies, empowering them to become active, engaged members of society.
UNICEF’s primary goal in providing education assistance in Kyrgyzstan is to improve teaching and learning quality on a large scale. In addition to supporting the government in enhancing education policies and refining national standards, UNICEF focuses on strengthening the capacities of district education officials, pedagogical supervisors, principals, and teachers in instructional and pedagogical leadership. By fostering mentoring and peer-support networks, UNICEF aims to drive sustainable, school-wide improvements in teaching practices and student learning outcomes.
Resources
These resources on education represent just a small selection of materials produced by UNICEF and its partners in the region. The list is regularly updated to include the latest information:
- Partnership Compact
- Kyrgyzstan’s joint efforts towards the country commitments to the United Nations Transforming Education Summit and the Joint Sector Review
- Education Joint Sector Review in the Kyrgyz Republic
- Infographics: Out-of-school children
- Global initiative on out-of-school children
- Education equity now
- Information Database: education organizations
