Summer Learning Opens New Opportunities for Rural Children in Mongolia
Extra mathematics and English classes help students build confidence and prepare for the school year
For 14-year-old Odbayar, summer is a chance to rest, spend time with family and friends, and prepare for the year ahead. In July and August 2026, he returned to voluntary summer classes in mathematics and English in his home community of Urgun Soum, in southeastern Mongolia’s Dornogovi Province.
“June is a good time to rest and spend time with family and friends,” Odbayar said. “In July and August, I can study and prepare for the new school year.”
Located about 60 kilometres from the provincial capital of Sainshand and more than 500 kilometers from Ulaanbaatar, Urgun offers children an opportunity to strengthen their academic skills close to home. The programme, supported by UNICEF Mongolia and Moncement Building Materials LLC, helps students revisit challenging concepts and prepare for the next grade.
In smaller rural communities, opportunities for additional classes can be more limited than in larger towns and cities. In Urgun, students select classes based on their subjects and grade levels, while initial assessments help teachers identify their learning needs.
Odbayar’s parents first encouraged him to attend in 2025. After experiencing the classes, he was eager to return the following summer.
“After I attended the first few classes last year, I wanted to keep coming,” he said. “I also encouraged some of my friends to join this year.”
Time to ask questions
For Odbayar, one of the most valuable aspects of the programme is the opportunity to ask questions and work through difficult problems with his teacher.
His mathematics teacher, Urantsetseg, has 31 years of teaching experience and normally works at School No. 5 in Sainshand. In 2026, she returned for her second year in the Urgun summer programme.
Her lessons combine collaborative problem-solving with hands-on activities. Students explore geometry through origami and connect mathematics with art and construction. In the afternoons, they can bring individual questions to her and work through problems at their own pace.
“When I do not understand a mathematics problem, I can ask my teacher,” Odbayar said. “She explains it carefully and helps me work through it. That has helped me feel more confident.”
He also appreciates how his English teacher keeps students engaged and believes his skills in both subjects are improving.
The programme has attracted growing interest. Urantsetseg taught approximately 55 students in 2025. In 2026, more than 100 students participated, and a second mathematics teacher joined the programme. Demand exceeded the available places, highlighting both the interest among families and the need for additional teachers and capacity to expand similar opportunities to other remote communities.
Investing in children and communities
The programme is part of a partnership between UNICEF Mongolia and Moncement Building Materials LLC, which operates in Urgun and employs local residents, including parents of children attending the school.
“Through our partnership with UNICEF, we want to help create those opportunities and invest in the future of the community where we work,” said Khaliun Tserenpil, Chief Executive Officer of Moncement Building Materials LLC.
For Turbat, a Moncement employee whose two children attend the summer classes, the programme offers both educational and practical benefits. He learned about it through a colleague and says his children enjoy the lessons and find them useful.
Working 12-hour shifts, he also values knowing that his children have a structured place to learn for part of the day while he is at work.
Learning beyond the summer
Odbayar’s learning opportunities extend beyond the summer holidays. During the regular school year, he uses a digital classroom equipped with computers and a smartboard, alongside the Pearson English programme. He says these resources make it easier to participate in English, mathematics and other subjects.
Separately from the summer classes, UNICEF and Moncement have supported the school’s digital classroom upgrade and equipment, as well as training for local teachers and students. Together, these efforts strengthen the school’s learning environment and provide children with additional opportunities throughout the year.
“Moncement’s support has helped create additional opportunities for children to learn, while also strengthening the broader learning environment in the school. We greatly value this partnership and the company’s commitment to children and education,” said Yo Han Jin, Digital Education Specialist at UNICEF Mongolia.
For Odbayar, the extra lessons and access to learning resources are helping him build the skills and confidence he needs as he considers where to continue his secondary education.
“I want to improve my mathematics and English because they can help me when I decide where to continue school,” he said.
For children in rural Mongolia, opportunities to strengthen their learning close to home can make an important difference. In Urgun Soum, the summer programme is helping students prepare for the future, one lesson at a time.
