Kyrgyzstan adopts 12-year school education system

Kyrgyzstan is transitioning to a 12-year school education system after the Cabinet of Ministers approved amendments to regulations governing general education schools.

The reform is aimed at optimising the length of the academic year and distributing students' workload more efficiently, Caliber.Az reports, citing Kyrgyz media.

Under the new system, school education will follow a 6+3+3 structure, consisting of six years of primary education, three years of lower secondary education and three years of upper secondary education. The previous structure was based on a 4+5+2 model.

The regulations also revise the length of the academic year. Students in the first through third levels of education will study for at least 34 weeks, excluding final state examinations.

The academic year will last 32 weeks for first-grade students and 33 weeks for second-grade students.

School holidays during the academic year will total at least 30 calendar days, while the summer break will last no less than 14 weeks.

First-grade students will continue to receive an additional two-week holiday, while second-grade students will be granted an extra one-week break.

Schools will also be allowed to operate on either a five-day or six-day school week.

By Bakhtiyar Abbasov