Teachers to Head for the Hills

Forcing newly qualified teachers to work in rural schools will not reduce staff shortages in the countryside, say NBCentralAsia commentators, who believe higher pay and better living conditions are the only answer.



On May 8, the education and science minister Kanybek Osmonaliev said that although 36,000 new teachers graduate every year, Kyrgyzstan suffers a persistent shortfall of around 3,000 teaching staff, which is worst in rural areas.



Osmonaliev announced that in view of this situation, the government will have to take the unpopular measure this year of compelling some new teachers to do a stint in schools in the worst-affected areas.



“Those graduates who have received their education at the expense of the state should work for it for a certain period of time,” Osmonaliev said.



The minister also announced that teacher’s salaries will go up by 30 per cent this year. The average salary of a rural teacher amounts to 3,000-5,000 soms, or 80-130 US dollars a month.



The education ministry is also running a scheme to attract new teachers to rural areas by paying them an extra 2,000 soms, or 55 dollars, a month for three years, after they go through a selection process. Kalys Toktosunov, head of recruitment policy at the education ministry, says the scheme has considerably improved the shortage, but it should be expanded with foreign funding.



“Our budget does not allow us to cover the entire territory. Assistance from international financial organisations could help solve the teacher shortage problem,” said Toktosunov.



According to political scientist Marat Kazakbaev, the quality of teaching in Kyrgyzstan’s schools has dropped markedly in recent years, as experienced teachers are forced to take other jobs in search of better pay.



Economist Sapar Orozbakov agrees, saying, “Given that salaries are so low, thousands of teachers have moved into commerce or gone to Russia and Kazakstan to earn money. So any salary increase should not be fictitious, but should ensure a decent standard of living.”



Other NBCentralAsia observers say migration from the countryside to the towns, especially of teachers, could be slowed by improving infrastructure and the quality of life in the regions.



“The solution to the problem… lies in improving living standards in rural areas and increasing teachers’ pay. Both central government and the local administrations should be have an interest in doing that,” said Kurmanbek Dyikanbaev, head of the Association of Kyrgyz Rural Administrations.



(News Briefing Central Asia draws comment and analysis from a broad range of political observers across the region.)