The implementation of the 12-year general education model in Kyrgyzstan is moving away from the stage of normative decisions and transitioning to practice, where the focus is on real results. With each step, the conditions for implementing the reform — staffing, organizational, and methodological — are increasingly discussed in schools.
An important aspect in this context is the reaction of both professionals and society. According to information from kz24.news, it is not the concept of the reform itself that raises concerns, but the difficulties in its implementation, especially in conditions of insufficient preparation of children for school and new methodological requirements for teachers. There are also questions regarding the scale of expenditures and the relationship between costs and observed changes.
This approach is important not as criticism, but as an indication of the tense point at which the reform currently stands — on the brink between the formal completion of stages and their real integration into the educational process.
Practical aspects and everyday limitations
In January 2026, the Ministry of Education of the Kyrgyz Republic held a meeting dedicated to the work of primary school teachers within the framework of the new educational model. The discussion focused on practical aspects such as the workload on educators, student adaptation, and the need for additional methodological support.
This shift in the agenda indicates that the reform is no longer perceived as an abstract modernization and is increasingly viewed as a set of specific management tasks. At the same time, the conditions for implementation remain diverse. According to official data, some regions are experiencing a shortage of teachers, which complicates the implementation of unified requirements and, accordingly, affects the speed and quality of changes.
Funding and effectiveness
The volume of funding for the reform remains significant. In 2025, approximately 744 million soms were allocated for printing and updating textbooks, highlighting the priority of educational policy and the government's readiness to invest in long-term transformations.
However, among experts, the discussion is increasingly focused not so much on the volume of investments as on their practical effectiveness. Educational materials, even if supplied on time, begin to yield results only in conjunction with prepared teachers, reliable methodological tools, and time for adaptation. If these elements are not aligned, the effect of investments may manifest with a delay and is not always subject to direct assessment.
Socio-cultural context and process management
The educational system in Kyrgyzstan traditionally attracts public attention, and any changes within it are perceived in a broader socio-cultural context. Debates about language issues and methodological approaches reflect society's sensitivity to the stability of the educational environment, rather than merely a conflict of interests.
The public accompaniment of the reform is mainly built on presentations and explanations, while analytical aspects — such as comparative analysis of planned and actual results, regional differences, and interim outcomes — remain less noticeable. For reforms of this scale, this creates an additional demand for feedback and clarification of management decisions.
A process without an endpoint
At this stage, the transition to the 12-year education system is perceived not as a completed project, but as a prolonged process of adaptation. Its development is determined not only by regulatory acts but also by the system's ability to smooth out differences between regions, take into account the practical experience of schools, and adjust the pace of implementation.
Thus, the discussion of the reform currently focuses more on its manageability than on its feasibility. The final results will depend on how consistently strategic goals can be aligned with the real capabilities of the educational environment.
