In Manas, there are 1,990 teachers, of which only 156 are men. At School No. 6, where 36 educators work, only one of them is Talantbek Tashmatov, who teaches history. He has been working at this school for six years and shared his story about how he came to the profession. “I graduated from the Jalal-Abad Pedagogical College in 1988 and was sent to the Batken region as part of my assignment, where I began my career. After serving in the army, I returned and enrolled in the history department of Osh State University. The teaching profession is important to me, as there are many teachers in my family. Teachers used to be treated with respect, but this has noticeably changed. Nevertheless, there are people who appreciate our work. We hope for a 100% salary increase in the future. It is possible to live on the current salary if you approach it with gratitude,” he noted.
Tashmatov believes that attracting men to schools is necessary. In his opinion, their role in the educational process is very important. “Children themselves say: ‘We listen better to male teachers.’ A man in the role of a teacher creates a special atmosphere that positively affects discipline. There are also practical aspects: there is a lot of work in school that is easier for a man to handle, so as not to overload female teachers. I notice that the number of male students coming for teaching practice is decreasing,” he added.
Recently, a student from NooKen conducted lessons that the children really enjoyed. At their request, he returned to conduct another lesson. “I would like to see more teachers like him who can find common ground with children. Especially high school students often ask for advice on choosing a profession. It is important to guide them at the right moment, considering their abilities and interests,” emphasized the educator.
In addition to history, Talantbek also teaches subjects such as “Man and Society” and “History of the Development of Religions.” Last year, there were three male teachers at School No. 6, but one left for a new job, and another went to earn money in Russia. To ensure that physical education classes do not get interrupted, the school invites teachers from other institutions and is actively searching for a man for this position.
In the Jalal-Abad region, there are a total of 17,790 teachers, of which 2,320 are men.
President Sadyr Japarov announced at the fourth People's Kurultai on December 25 that starting from April 1, 2026, teachers' salaries will be increased by 100%. “Recently, the head of the Cabinet announced plans to raise salaries by at least 50%. We discussed this in my office and decided that introducing an additional allowance of 15,000 soms as presidential compensation would allow an average salary increase of 100%,” the president said.
Currently, the average salary of teachers is 26,000 soms, and after the increase, it will rise to 52,000 soms. The salary amount depends on education, experience, qualification category, region, and subject taught, as well as weekly workload.
A teacher who has just graduated from a pedagogical university will receive 36,800 soms, and after paying taxes and social contributions, they will take home 31,200 soms.
