The main topic of their appeal was the issue of relocating the educational institution to the village of Tash-Dobo. Currently, it is located at: Kulatov Street, 37.
Iskender Sultanaliyev, one of the parents, reported that they learned about the relocation plans in December. A new building for children with autism, deafness, and blindness is planned to be constructed in the village of Tash-Dobo.
He emphasized that this decision contradicts international standards and legislation on the rights of persons with disabilities, as well as the norms of inclusive education enshrined in the Constitution of the Kyrgyz Republic, which prohibits discrimination based on disability.
"The current location of the boarding school is convenient for children and their parents, as it is closer to the city center. Moving the institution will create many difficulties for children, who may stop attending classes and end up in isolation. I have two daughters studying here, and their interaction with other children is very important for their development. The relocation will sever these connections," noted Sultanaliyev.
Tabokel kyzy Kauhar, another parent, shared that after receiving information about the relocation, the parents united and sent appeals to the president, the heads of the Cabinet, the Ministry of Education, and the Ministry of Construction.
"The responses we received did not satisfy us. When the head of the Cabinet visited the boarding school on January 22, I stated on behalf of the parents our opposition to the relocation. It is too far, and children with their accompanying diagnoses will find it difficult. At a meeting on February 3 with the Minister of Education and other representatives of the authorities, we expressed our disagreement with the relocation. The Minister assured that the building would remain in place; however, later in an interview, she stated that a final decision had not yet been made," Kauhar recounted.
Sadybek Jamankulov, a resident of Talas, also opposed the relocation, as his child is in the 2nd grade at the boarding school. "I often visit him and spend weekends with him. I have four other children, and I do not want the building to be moved to the outskirts of the city," he said.
Gulzada Mamieva, a parent and a person with a disability of the first group, noted that she herself graduated from this school. "Not only blind children study here, but also those who suffer from cerebral palsy or autism. This is not just an educational institution, but a safe space for children. I am raising two children alone, and we are against their isolation," she added.
Teacher Bekbolsun Alymbaev also spoke out against the relocation. He is a person with a disability of the second group and believes that information about the school and its history has been distorted. "The school was not opened in 1939; it was originally located near the Dostuk Hotel, where only 9 children with visual impairments studied. In 1957, a separation occurred, and the school moved to Kulatov Street, where a dormitory was built," he explained.
According to him, the area of the school is 92 hundredths, not 70 as claimed, and half of this territory is not used. He emphasized the importance of the school's location in the city center, where children can socialize and develop orientation skills.
"Relocating the institution may negatively affect the educational process, as children need to learn to cross roads and use public transport," the teacher added.
Alymbaev called for keeping the building in its current location and building a new boarding school within the existing campus. He noted that different groups of children cannot be educated together due to differences in their needs. "Merging schools will violate the rights of students and teachers," he concluded.
Additionally, Elvira Orozalieva, a teacher, noted that 220 children study at the school, of which 176 receive a general education program, while 44 are in correctional classes. She emphasized that the information about placing 14 children in one room is not true.
Parents also reported that many of them moved or rent housing near the boarding school for the convenience of their children's education. In this regard, they called on the president and the head of the GKNB to pay attention to the situation and help resolve it.
