«The number of schools does not correspond to the growth of students in Kyrgyzstan,» Deputy Eldar Abakirov said today during a meeting of the Committee on Transport, Communications, Architecture and Construction of the Parliament, while discussing a credit agreement with the Saudi Fund for construction of new schools in the country.
He noted that in 2010 there were 1 million students in Kyrgyzstan, while by 2021 this number had grown to 1.5 million — an increase of nearly 50 percent.
«During the same period, the number of schools rose only from 2,000 to 2,300, an increase of just 5–10 percent. Currently, 560 schools across the country operate in three shifts, with student numbers 3–4 times above the norm. These are the so-called ‘red zones.’ We had previously stated that new schools should be built in these areas within two years, but they were not. Many issues remain unresolved. Of course, it is good that the Saudi Fund supports us, but it is also necessary to provide funds from the budget for the construction of new schools throughout the country,» the MP believes.
He cited Kazakhstan as an example, where 1,200 schools for 1 million students were built in a year.
«We must also build new schools to radically resolve the issue. Yesterday I was at school No. 61, there are 50-60 students in one class. What kind of quality education can we talk about? At the same time, teachers’ salaries need to be raised,» Eldar Abakirov added.
