Teacher Aidana Azatovna leads a lesson at Ak-Bulak kindergarten. Grozd, Kyrgyz Republic. June 2022 Credit: GPE/Maxime Fossat

Partner since:

Total grant support: US$48,940,484

Grant eligibility:

  • Multiplier
  • System capacity

Partnership Compact

Priority: Transform the system to ensure equitable access to quality education and learning opportunities for boys and girls.

Other key documents

Coordinating agency: Aga Khan Foundation, European Union, USAID

GPE Team lead: Muhammad Tariq Khan

Transforming education in Kyrgyz Republic

Kyrgyz Republic’s rapid population growth over the past decade, coupled with lack of investment in improving school infrastructure, has led to overcrowded classrooms.

Additionally, competency-based curriculum was introduced at the primary level in 2010, secondary in 2014 and upper secondary in 2017, but a lack of focus and consistency of the education content across levels calls for further revisions.

The government is working with GPE and other partners to achieve equitable access to quality school education and learning opportunities. The Kyrgyz Republic’s Partnership Compact prioritizes updating the curriculum, standards, and teaching and learning materials to enhance learning quality.

Building infrastructure with emphasis on gender-sensitive and inclusive WASH facilities will help improve access to education, especially for marginalized students.

These measures are complemented by ongoing interventions to increase preschool coverage for school readiness, strengthen teacher professional development, roll-out international learning assessments, and invest in the computerization and connectivity of schools.

Improved system governance and financing will support large-scale and sustainable change.

Result story

Kyrgyz Republic: Preparing children for primary school

  • In the Kyrgyz Republic, 39% of preschool children accessed education in 2018. Early learning benefits all children but is especially valuable for the most disadvantaged.
  • With the support of a US$12.6 million GPE grant, the government implemented initiatives to expand access to quality early learning.
  • Thanks to new infrastructure, teacher training and new learning materials, 10,000 students are now enrolled in community-based kindergartens.

Key data

1%

out-of-school rate for children of lower-secondary school age

84%

of children start learning one year before entering primary school

97%

of primary teachers have the minimum required qualifications

Grants

(data as of December 22, 2024)

 
  • Type: Multiplier

    Years: 2024 - 2029

    Allocation: US$15,000,000

    Utilization: 0

    Grant agent: IsDB

  • Type: Program development

    Years: 2024 - 2025

    Allocation: US$199,995

    Utilization: 0

    Grant agent: IsDB

  • Type: Multiplier

    Years: 2021 - 2025

    Allocation: US$5,000,000

    Utilization: US$2,371,925

    Grant agent: WB

Civil society engagement

As part of its investment in civil society advocacy and social accountability efforts, GPE’s Education Out Loud fund is supporting the Association for Education Development in Kyrgyzstan (AED) for the 2024-2026 period. This builds on previous support from the Civil Society Education Fund (CSEF).

Learn more

Knowledge and innovation

Latest blogs and news