Kyrgyzstan Approves Transition to 12-Year Education System
The Kyrgyz government has approved a new state education standard, which includes a transition to a 12-year school system.
This move aims to integrate the national education system into the international framework and improve the quality of student preparation, according to Kazinform.
The new education structure consists of three levels:
- Primary education: Grades 1-6
- Basic education: Grades 7-9
- Secondary education: Grades 10-12
One of the major changes will be the updated student assessment system. There will be no grading in Grades 1-3, while a point-based evaluation system will be introduced from Grade 4. In Grades 7-12, a criterion-based assessment will be implemented to encourage self-evaluation and motivation.
The transition to the 12-year education system in Kyrgyzstan will begin in September 2025. Six-year-old children will start in Grade 1, while seven-year-olds will be placed directly into Grade 2. The first batch of 12-year graduates will finish in 2028, and the full transition cycle will be completed by 2037 with students born in 2019.
Kyrgyz Minister of Education Dogdurkul Kendirbaeva stated that the bachelor’s degree program will be shortened from 4 to 3 years, as high school students will receive advanced instruction in mathematics, physics, chemistry, and languages.
Additionally, the government has introduced a home-schooling initiative for public discussion, which would allow students with limited physical access to schools to receive official state-recognized education documents.
