Over 50 educators and education professionals came together for a conference to review the results of a three-year program designed to enhance teaching skills. Approximately 10,000 teachers from across Kyrgyzstan took part in the training, with 9,152 of them earning government certificates for their successful completion. The program focused on improving teachers' abilities to instruct fundamental subjects such as reading, writing, and mathematics, which are essential for functional literacy.
This initiative, led by UNICEF, supported the Kyrgyz Government's efforts to help children resume their learning after disruptions caused by COVID-19 school closures. Teachers from 460 schools across Kyrgyzstan took part in online training courses, with the project funded by the Government of Japan.
“A key aspect of this initiative was that the schools were trained in teams engaging both teachers and the administration. This means that the material covered is known to everyone, and further implementation will be successful”, noted Almazbek Toktomametov, head of the National Institute for Professional Training of Pedagogical Staff under the Ministry of Education and Science which developed the course content.
The courses were delivered through a dedicated online platform named “Mugalim” (meaning “Teacher” in Kyrgyz), which is available to all teachers nationwide. At the conference, the top 21 schools out of the 460 were honored for their active participation and teamwork. These schools received collections of modern literature books to further improve their students' reading comprehension.
“Kyrgyzstan is committed to improving education. President Japarov highlighted this commitment on the global stage during the Sustainable Development Goals summit last year. UNICEF will continue to support the country’s efforts to ensure that every child has access to quality education”, noted Cristina Brugiolo, Deputy Representative of UNICEF to Kyrgyzstan.
In addition to training teachers, UNICEF, with financial support from the Government of Japan, facilitated the acquisition of computers and other equipment for 900 schools throughout Kyrgyzstan. The primary objective is to enhance the schools' and students' access to computer technology and innovative educational tools.
