EDUCATION

The modern education system in Kyrgyzstan was formed as an integral part of the education system of the former Soviet Union. The most remarkable progress made within the Soviet period is overall literacy. A vast network of schools and pre-schools was created. Everything was provided by the government including textbooks and other school accessories. For orphans and children whose parents were poor or in remote areas, boarding schools and children's homes were established. Virtually all school-age children attended classes and received at least some secondary education. 

The educational system also provided a satisfactory level of training at higher educational establishments and secondary schools. All expenditures related to higher and secondary specialized education were covered by the government. Of course, there were drawbacks as well. Relative to the more developed areas of the USSR, Kyrgyzstan had relatively low levels of material resources, teacher qualification, and, subsequently, specialist training in spite of incentives provided by the government to improve the educational level in this region. It is certain that communist ideology and the totalitarian regime were influential. Knowledge was taught purposefully in a curtailed manner; both students and faculty received only limited information. Educational objectives established according to "guidelines pursuing the utmost interests of the state, its security, and purity of the Marxist-Leninist ideology", were implemented in isolation from the rest of the world.

After the Soviet Union breakdown, the old education system continued to work automatically. However, early in the 90s, the state of education proved to be inadequate to meet the demands of Kyrgyzstan's social development. It became obvious that social and economic development strongly depend on the state of education. Monopolized education, centralized administration, bureaucratic obstacles, obsolete education technologies and ideologized contents became an impediment in developing the society. Education reform became a necessity and one of the state's most important challenges.

The orientation of reforms was determined by the Law “On Education”, accepted in 1992. The law has defined a policy of priority development of the educational sphere, transition to the diversification of education programs, search of new forms and technologies of training, establishment of multi-channel financings, and attraction of various partners for rendering educational services that would lead to the development of private institutions.

The management system in education is gradually changing. Formerly, the management functions were a monopoly of the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture (MESC), and were too wide for efficient functioning. During the education management reforms, the MESC powers were partly delegated to the educational institutions. Universities and schools now have opportunities to independently determine their internal activities within the government's framework for standards and curricula, to deliver additional paid educational services, to improve logistics, to distribute funds received from contract-based training and to allow other revenue-producing activities.

The Ministry has retained the key functions of financing, certification and licensing of educational activities, state education standardizing and planning. This allows the Ministry to concentrate on strategic functions and to reduce administrative costs. Due to reforms, certain results were achieved: 

- Established diverse programs at all levels of the education system. 
- Introduced new training technologies. 
- Expanded the sphere of educational services. 
- Democratized the management of the education system. 
- Consolidated multi-channel financings. 

In general, the developing legal framework makes it possible to progressively remove inconsistency and irregularity from many processes in the education sector.

The current education system is a multilevel system consisting of the following three main types of education programs, the main purpose of which is the development of a student’s aptitude, abilities and talents:

- Special educational programs for infant preschool institutions; 
- Public programs that provide general cultural and intellectual development, as well as a base for successful professional qualification/licensing acquisition. 
- Professional programs, providing growth and advancement at the professional level, and preparation of qualified specialists. 

Compulsory minimum of each educational program is defined by corresponding government education standards.

These programs are implemented in the network of education institutions of different types, kinds and forms of property, full-time, part-time and non-residence forms of education.

Pre-school education: children attend infant schools at 1.5-3 years and kindergartens at 3-7 years. There are state, private, family, and "rental" kindergartens with both full-time and part-time programs, as well as day-time and overnight options.

School education is the most massive among all levels of education. There are three stages of school education: primary education, or the first stage of basic education (1-4 forms, 6-11 years old); basic secondary education or the second stage of basic education (5-9 forms, 11-15 years old); high school education or complete secondary education (10-11 forms, 15-17 years old). This type of education is conducted in different types of educational institutions.

The first stage of basic education provides basic skills and forms the basis for learning at the second stage. The second stage is designed to create a foundation for the student’s further education. 

Additional education. In addition to formal, there are many out-of-school institutions and organizations in Kyrgyzstan to meet various interests of students.

Professional programs are implemented in institutions of primary, secondary, and higher professional education 

Primary professional education is conducted in professional educational institutions, in educational divisions of enterprises, entities and organizations, in educational institutions for special contingencies and in other specialized institutions. This education may be based on secondary (high) education or may be conducted by a unified integrated program of secondary and professional education. In cases of necessity, for persons without secondary education conditions for acquiring professional education could also be created.

Secondary professional education aims to satisfy demands of students in professional training for certain jobs. This education is implemented by a network of colleges, technical institutions and schools. The term of study in educational institutions of secondary professional education is 4 years on the basis of secondary education and 2 years on the basis of high school.

Higher education is represented by academies, universities, institutes, higher colleges, etc. At present two systems of higher education are functioning in Kyrgyzstan: traditional permanent 5-year education system and multilevel system, providing three levels of higher education: incomplete higher education, basic higher education (bachelor degree and specialty) and complete higher education (master degree and specialty teaching). Today there are 32 state higher institutions and more than 20 non-governmental institutions in Kyrgyzstan.

System of adult learning has acquired more importance recently. The main goal of a newly formed system of adult education is adaptation of adult population to a new social-economic environment.

The last stage of permanent education is the postgraduate education system (qualification upgrade courses and conversion teaching). Intended to be life-long education, this system represents a network of institutions of conversion teaching, different education centers, programs in the leading institutions of the country, and institutes of teaching of specialists of higher qualification through postgraduate teaching and doctorate.

International assistance has played a particularly valuable role for these education reforms to be achieved. A number of donor countries, bilateral and multilateral organizations have made the powerful contribution to the field of education since independence in 1991: the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) of the U.S. Department of State, American Councils for International Education (ACTR/ACCELS), the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), UNESCO, UNDP, the European Union, International Research & and Exchange Board (IREX), Soros Foundation, Asian Bank of Development (ADB), etc. 

The main mechanism to ensure that the educational system functions effectively during the transition is a realistic public educational policy and legal base underpinning this policy. Democratization of the educational system and orienting it to individuals to create a higher quality of education in order to improve quality of living constitute the pivotal part of this policy. This postulate reflects the world development trends in the sphere of education.