The government of Kyrgyzstan has approved a new state standard for general education. The new system will be introduced starting in September 2025, reports the Adyrna national portal, citing Fergana Agency.
This reform aims to improve the quality of education and align the national education system with international standards.
Under the new standard, schools will transition to a 12-year education system. The learning process will be divided into three levels: primary (grades 1-6), basic (grades 7-9), and secondary education (grades 10-12). Additionally, the student assessment system will change—traditional grading will be removed in grades 1-3, and a points-based evaluation system will be introduced starting from grade 4. In grades 7-12, a criteria-based assessment method will be implemented to develop students’ self-evaluation skills.
According to the updated system, six-year-old children will enter the first grade, while seven-year-olds will start directly in the second grade. Students who complete the third grade will move to the fifth grade, and those finishing the sixth grade will transfer to the eighth grade. The first diplomas under the new education program will be awarded in the 2027/2028 academic year, and the first full-fledged graduates of the 12-year school system will finish their studies in the 2036/2037 academic year.
According to Kyrgyzstan’s Minister of Education, Dogdurkul Kendirbaeva, the transition to a 12-year system will also shorten the duration of bachelor’s degree programs from four years to three, as some university-level subjects will be taught in the final years of high school.
