Education

Seven grader Elizaveta Chernioglo reads a book in Gagauz at her home in Comrat, the administrative centre of Moldova's autonomous region of Gagauzia. The language struggles for popularity among young Gaguzians who largely speak Russian. © Piotr Garciu

Moldova: Gagauz Language Lags Behind Russian

Numbers of speakers in the country’s autonomous region of Gagauzia are dwindling.

17 Jul 23

Lena Mirzoyan with her pupils, who are holding the Yezidi flag. Numbering about 35,000 people, Yezidi are Armenia's largest ethnic minority. © Gayane Markosyan

Armenia’s Yezidi Girls Choose School Over Early Marriage

Despite conservative social norms that mean girls can wed as young as 14, drop-out rates are declining.

1 Jun 23

A girl reads a book in a reading room of Chuy regional library, in the town of Kant. Over 80 per cent of the 1,060 libraries in Kyrgyzstan are located in rural areas and in most villages they are the only cultural facility. © IWPR Central Asia

A World in 30 Metres: Kyrgyzstan’s Rural Libraries

Precious resources are often villages’ only cultural centres, but they remain underfunded and at risk.

22 May 23

Schools Struggle in Armenia’s Border Villages

Fighting between Armenia and Azerbaijan has affected thousands of children’s right to learn.

1 Dec 22

Georgians in Abkhazia’s Gali district account for 98 per cent of the population. Yet, students struggle to study in their native language as authorities have imposed Russian as the language of instructions in all grades. © Monica Ellena/IWPR

Abkhazia: Erasing the Georgian language

Russian is now mandatory in all schools in Gali district.

24 Nov 22

Thousands of university places remained vacant as Armenia recorded unprecedented low results in the admission exams. © Dato/Wikimedia

Armenian Universities’ Lost Applicants

Thousands of places remain vacant as students fail entry tests due to low quality education and fewer applicants.

31 Aug 22

School students pose for a portrait with blue and yellow balloons in the colours of the Ukrainian national flag during Childrens Day activities on June 1, 2022 in Rusaniv, Ukraine. © Alexey Furman/Getty Images

Amid War, Ukraine’s Children Return to School

Teachers and students resume studies despite daily missile strikes and the occupation of more than 20 per cent of the country.

29 Aug 22

An infant school teacher Maryna Pankova, 40, conducts a lesson for Ukrainian children in School of Heroes in Kaunas, Lithuania. © Photo: Anna Bureyko

Studying Ukrainian in Lithuania

Child refugees from Ukraine are getting the chance to receive education in their native language.

28 Jun 22

(L) Fedir Sandor, head of the sociology faculty at Uzhhorod University, enlisted in the Ukrainian military and he still conducts virtual lectures from the trenches. (R) Fedir Shandor (centre) with his army friends. © (L) Uzhhorod University (R) photo courtesy of Fedir Shandor

Ukraine: The Professor on the Frontline

Giving lectures from the trenches, one sociologist combines military service with academia.

24 May 22

An elementary school in Armenia's Syunik province. Parents shoulder a significant burden to ensure that their children receive proper schooling, with some experts assessing that a third of the average Armenian household expenditure was on education-related costs. © Mania Israyelyan

Armenia’s Education Gap

Parents are forced to shoulder a significant burden to ensure that their children receive proper schooling.

24 Mar 22

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