Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Kyrgyz Republic has experienced fundamental transformations—not the least of them in the educational system. A major challenge was declining quality, particularly in rural schools, which serve about 65 percent of the population. The chief cause was a change in financing when the central government shifted much of the responsibility to local governments and parents. The policy impact was great in rural areas, where resources are limited. Although the government continued to fund rural teachers' salaries, pay was low—averaging US$19 per month—less than half the salary of a typical public servant. Consequently teachers lacked motivation, and most had to take a second job to make ends meet. Moreover, student exams relied on outdated methods that tested rote memory rather than learning. The education system was in dire need of overhaul, with sector financing, teacher performance and student learning outcomes at the top of the list.
The IDA-financed Kyrgyz Republic Rural Education Project (REP) was launched in 2004 to tackle these complex challenges and improve learning in rural schools. First, allocations for education were to be improved by introducing per capita funding—based on the number of students in each school—to foster greater transparency and efficiency and strengthen school autonomy and accountability. Second, National Student Assessments would be strengthened by establishing school and classroom-based formative evaluations to build a foundation for better student learning outcomes. Third, teacher performance was to be improved through a better performance-evaluation system. Ultimately, the goal was to pilot these approaches, learn from implementation while building capacity, and then roll out the system nationally.
A per capita funding model was pilot tested in 2007 in 319 schools with an enrollment of 159,000 students— about 14 percent of all schools. Interim results are positive.
Highlights:
- Student exams for benchmarking. A classroom-based formative assessment was introduced in two regions. The existing school exit examination and the university scholarship test were improved, allowing better measurement of the student learning outcomes. This is anticipated to impact 1.1 million students in secondary schools.
- Incentive-based pay for teachers. A new performance evaluation system was established in two regions. To date, 2,972 teachers have received bonuses for good evaluations during the 2007-08 school year, in 300 schools with an enrollment of 147,000. The range of the bonuses was about US$10 to US$30. Classroom observations suggest that teachers are better motivated. Surveys showed that teachers and administrators are overwhelmingly in favor of the new performance-based bonuses.
- Capacity building for staff and curricula. Complementing the per-capita finance reform and the increased accountability and autonomy for schools, the project has also started the introduction of school improvement planning and textbook development.
- Following participation in the 2006 Program for International Student Assessment run by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, preparation for participation in PISA 2009 is well under way according to OECD.
IDA contributed US$15 million to the Rural Education Project. This is the first IDA-supported education project in the Kyrgyz Republic, so the design was informed by intensive studies and lessons from previous World Bank Group projects around the world. The project serves as a laboratory for innovation and a platform for partnerships in the sector. The government is considering national replication of the piloted interventions.
An Education-for-All Fast-Track Initiative of $9 million in multidonor financing to improve preschools and primary schools is operating parallel to the Rural Education Project. Implementation of both projects helped build consensus in the local donor community for more-coordinated support in future operations to the government's educational program. An IDA-financed sector-wide initiative with possible multidonor financing is planned for Fiscal Year 2010.
IDA is supporting implementation of the government’s Education Development Strategy for 2011–20 in coordination with other donors. Emphasis is on scaling up piloted and proven interventions from the Rural Education Project to improve educational performance countrywide. These activities include per capita financing, ongoing improvement of the national student assessment system and adoption of the incentive-based pay system into the National pay scale.
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