CIVIL SOCIETY
Hamid Toursunof
6/01/07
Martin Fluch is a mountaineer and a jogging enthusiast, as well as an educator and an idealist. All these interests and traits are now being combined in a noble cause – raising awareness about the terrible state of Kyrgyzstan’s educational infrastructure.
On May 29, Fluch, a German national, commenced an unusual marathon. He plans to run from the Kyrgyz capital Bishkek to the country’s southern capital in Osh, traversing one of the most formidable mountain ranges in Central Asia, the Tien Shan, in the process. It is 680 kilometers from start to finish. If all goes according to plan, Fluch, who teaches German at secondary school #18 in Osh, will wrap up his run on July 9.
"I am an alpinist and a long-distance runner, but my heart is a teacher," Martin told EurasiaNet. "I am making this run to generate money to buy new blackboards for our school and German books for my students."
Secondary school #18 is, comparatively speaking, well off for a Kyrgyz school. With 56 teachers and 900 students, the school has a good student/teacher ratio. But the school still lacks lots of basic equipment. "Our education system is outdated," said Aijan Toktomamatova, a senior at the school. "We do not have [access to] the Internet, chemistry and physics equipment, visual aids. We do not have enough computers."
"Thanks to Martin, we will gain good knowledge of the German language [opening] opportunities to get proper education," Toktomamatova added.
According to Fluch, in 2006 only one student managed to earn a German-language diploma. "This year, we have given diplomas to eight students. It marks good progress," he said. "When there is no education, there is no quality, and no quality means no future for the whole country."
Perhaps the most acute shortage faced by schools concerns textbooks. Most Kyrgyz schools continue to rely on Soviet-era texts, and there are not enough to go around. At secondary school number #18, for example, existing textbooks cover only about 80 percent of the need. To plug the gap, parents must now buy textbooks, whereas during the Communist era school-related materials were provided free. For some families, this isn’t a problem. But for the majority, the change has imposed a significant financial burden.
"I cannot buy school books for my children since one book is about 100 soms (about US $2.50), and I have three children to support, and all of them need at least 18 books," said Azim Kurmanov, a taxi driver. An average salary in Kyrgyzstan is about 1500 soms (approximately US $40). "When I went to school, books were free of charge, so let the government provide free books for our children."
Another obstacle that the education system is struggling to overcome is a severe deficit of teachers. In the Market Age, teaching is not seen as a lucrative profession. So despite Kyrgyzstan’s high unemployment rate, the shortage of teachers was estimated at 3,500 in 2005. "Nobody wants to be a teacher," said Fluch. "After graduating teacher-training colleges, young teachers work at schools, but they leave because they cannot support their families."
After coming to power in 2005, President Kurmanbek Bakiyev pledged to boost teacher pay by 50 percent. He hasn’t yet fulfilled that promise, but he has at least taken steps in that direction. Teachers received a 15 percent raise on January 1, meaning that their average monthly pay now stands at about 1,700 Kyrgyz soms per month (roughly $46).
The government is also trying to help schools in other ways. Starting in 2006, officials provided funding for a snack program in primary schools. This has helped take a little pressure off many impoverished Kyrgyz families, according to Odina Rozieva, an Osh school teacher. Despite these initiatives, few are willing to give the government credit. "These [programs] are a good sign that authorities recognize [the importance of] education issues, but I would describe these as half-measures," said another Osh teacher, Zumratai Mamashayeva. She also expressed the belief that the government "does not have a well-planned strategy to develop the education sector."
Publicity initiatives, such as Fluch’s long-distance run, may end up having a larger impact on securing additional resources for Kyrgyz schools than recent government programs. "Our schools will not survive without international support," said Abbas Israilov, a 14-year-old pupil. "If the government cannot help [students], and parents do not make enough money, who then will provide a helping hand?"
Editor’s Note: Hamid Toursunov is a freelance writer based in Osh, Kyrgyzstan.
