President Japarov outlines measures to address school shortages in Osh region

President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Japarov, during a working visit to Osh region, took part in a ceremony marking the start of construction of 10 secondary schools.

He said that the laying of foundations for 10 educational institutions in Osh is an important event not only for the city but for the entire country.

«Today, more than 100,000 students are studying in 70 public schools in the southern capital. However, their designed capacity is only about 46,000 places. This means that schools are operating at more than double capacity. In other words, there are more than two students per seat, which negatively affects the quality of education.

As a result, 16 general education schools operate in three shifts, and 51 schools in two shifts. Only three schools are able to operate in a single shift. This indicates a serious shortage of infrastructure in the city’s education system. Of course, we have been aware of this problem for a long time and are addressing it as far as possible. However, to prevent a decline in education quality due to the lack of schools, we must immediately begin constructing new ones,» Sadyr Japarov believes.

It should be noted that all 10 schools are being built using funds from the country’s Stabilization Fund. In addition, construction of five more educational institutions continues using the national budget.

«If all 15 schools are commissioned, this will cover about 20–22 percent of the shortage of student places. As a result, the number of schools operating in three shifts will be significantly reduced; some will transition from two shifts to a single shift; class occupancy will be optimized; and conditions will be created to improve the quality of education.

Although we will not fully solve the shortage, we will significantly reduce its severity. Residential areas such as Ozgur, Kyzyl-Bairak, Surottuu-Tash, Sary-Zoo, Ak-Buura-2 and others will be provided with schools. Considering population growth and internal migration, we will continue constructing new schools in the coming years,» the head of state added.

He also noted that construction companies will be subject to strict requirements to ensure that schools meet modern standards.

«I instruct the Ministry of Construction and the Ministry of Education to jointly ensure the high-quality and timely completion of the works. This issue will be under my personal control,» Sadyr Japarov concluded.