After participating in the U.S. government-sponsored “Okuu Keremet!” project, more than 450,000 primary school students in 1,679 schools in the Kyrgyz Republic are on track to improve their learning outcomes. The United States Agency for International Development project, implemented in partnership with the Ministry of Education and Science of the Kyrgyz Republic, presented its five-year achievements at the national forum “Modern Strategies of Education Transformation” in Bishkek on July 2. The McGovern-Dole Food for Education and Child Nutrition program of the United States Department of Agriculture also presented its achievements, including distance learning modules on differentiated reading instruction for over 3,000 teachers and 400 librarians, the U.S. Embassy in Kyrgyzstan reported.
Deputy Minister of Education and Science of the Kyrgyz Republic Muratbek Kasymaliev, Minister of Culture, Information, Sports, and Youth Affairs of the Kyrgyz Republic Altynbek Maksutov, and USAID/Kyrgyz Republic Mission Director Kaya Adams took part in the forum. Since its launch in 2019, the Okuu Keremet! project has helped over 17,000 teachers and 3,500 education administrators master expert skills of reading and math instruction in primary school using contemporary technology.
The project engaged local authors and artists to create 1,579 new children’s books in four local languages. The electronic versions of these books, including 40 books in sign language, are available for children’s reading on local and international digital libraries. The project distributed over 2 million copies of these books to 1,679 schools and 83 public libraries.
“Our goal is to prepare graduates who are capable of lifelong learning, effectively solving problems in an unknown, multifaceted, and complex world. They should possess critical thinking skills, the ability to absorb information, and proficiency in multiple languages. Achieving this objective requires significant human, intellectual, and financial resources. We therefore express our gratitude to the USAID Okuu Keremet! Project and the U.S. Department of Agriculture McGovern-Dole Food for Education and Child Nutrition program,” stated Deputy Minister of Education and Science Muratbek Kasymaliev.
“By working together to build a strong foundation for learning, we can ensure that every child has a brighter future, and collectively, contribute to a stronger nation,” said USAID/Kyrgyz Republic Mission Director Kaya Adams.
