Kyrgyzstan’s Education Crisis: Teachers Flee Public Schools

A severe crisis is unfolding in Kyrgyzstan’s education sector as the new school year begins, with dozens of teachers resigning in just the first two weeks of September. The mass exodus is being driven by a combination of chronically low salaries, a controversial transition to a 12-year education system, and stricter language requirements, leaving public schools in turmoil.

The situation has become a hot topic in the capital’s legislature. Elizaveta Alymbaeva, a member of the Bishkek City Parliament, described the staff shortage as the most acute issue facing the city. She highlighted the immense pressure on the remaining educators, who are dealing with overcrowded classrooms of up to 50 students and workloads that extend long after the school day ends. “Only fanatics are left in the schools,” she stated, urging for immediate salary increases to attract and retain staff.

A key catalyst for the recent wave of resignations was a government ban on informal school fees. Previously, these parent contributions, while a burden for many families, were used to fund school repairs, purchase supplies, and, crucially, supplement the meager official salaries of teachers and directors. With this additional income stream now gone, educators are left with state salaries ranging from just 12,000 to 25,000 soms per month—an amount considered insufficient for living in the capital, Bishkek. In stark contrast, private schools offer salaries between 80,000 and 100,000 soms.

The consequences have been immediate and dire. To cope with the acute shortage, the Ministry of Education is scrambling to fill the void by merging classes, sometimes resulting in up to 60 students per room, and even hiring first and second-year university students to teach. The most experienced professionals are leaving the public system for better-paying jobs in private education, IT, and retail, creating a significant brain drain.

Official responses to the crisis have been contradictory. While Bishkek’s Vice-Mayor Victoria Mozgacheva has downplayed the resignations as “normal practice” and a natural part of staff turnover, the Ministry of Education itself reported a nationwide deficit of 947 teachers just before the school year started. The government has promised a two-stage salary increase, but the first phase is not scheduled until April 2026, offering little immediate relief.

The crisis is further compounded by a broader, controversial reform to shift the country to a 12-year, British-style education model. According to political analyst Asilbek Egemberdiev, this push towards a Western system is causing confusion and resistance among educators. He notes the irony of this reform, as it coincides with President Sadyr Japarov’s proposal to create a unified educational space with strategic ally Russia.

Egemberdiev argues that the government lacks a coherent strategy, constantly shifting between foreign models—from Singaporean to Australian, and now British—while failing to honor its commitments to Russia. He criticized the authorities for focusing on “pompous” public projects while ignoring the deep-seated problems causing a national exodus. “Behind this beautiful facade… lies emptiness, populism, and a deepening crisis,” he remarked, warning that the chaotic reforms are alienating the population.

As the public education system buckles under pressure, the private sector is booming. Expensive private schools, with monthly fees ranging from $500 to $1,500, are becoming the only option for affluent families seeking quality education. This trend threatens to widen the social and educational divide, leaving the majority of Kyrgyzstan’s children in understaffed, overcrowded, and under-resourced state schools.