| Project Detail |
The program is aligned with the following impact: Human capital that contributes to the countrys development and economic growth strengthened. The program will have the following outcome: the ability of the school education system to prepare graduates with subject knowledge and competencies improved. Program and project components both support the following three outputs:
Project Name School Education Reform Sector Development Program
Project Number 52337-001
Country / Economy Kyrgyz Republic
Project Status Approved
Project Type / Modality of Assistance Grant
Loan
Source of Funding / Amount
Grant 0851-KGZ: School Education Reform Sector Development Program
Asian Development Fund US$ 5.00 million
Grant 0852-KGZ: Education and Skills for Science, Technology and Innovation
Asian Development Fund US$ 15.00 million
Loan 4217-KGZ: School Education Reform Sector Development Program
Concessional ordinary capital resources lending US$ 20.00 million
Strategic Agendas Environmentally sustainable growth
Inclusive economic growth
Drivers of Change Gender Equity and Mainstreaming
Governance and capacity development
Knowledge solutions
Partnerships
Sector / Subsector
Education / Education sector development - Secondary
Gender Equity and Mainstreaming Effective gender mainstreaming
Description
The program is aligned with the following impact: Human capital that contributes to the countrys development and economic growth strengthened. The program will have the following outcome: the ability of the school education system to prepare graduates with subject knowledge and competencies improved. Program and project components both support the following three outputs:
Output 1: Quality and relevance of curricula with priority on interdisciplinary approaches improved. The policy-based program component under tranche one supported the government to (i) revise the state standard of general school education, and (ii) set up a regulatory framework for curriculum development. Under tranche two, the program will (iii) approve and roll out new 12-year subject curricula. The project component will help to (i) strengthen the capacity of MES staff and experts on textbook assessment, (ii) build the capacity of the curriculum developers (both institutions and individual experts), (iii) design and implement a step-by-step model for curriculum development review and approval, and (iv) revise the curricula for grades 612.
Output 2: Quality of teaching improved. Under tranche one, the policy-based program component supported the government to (i) revise the teacher salary structure and increase teacher salaries; (ii) approve teacher professional standards; and (iii) revise pedagogical university education standards. Under tranche two, the program will (i) incorporate incentives into the teacher salary structure for better performance and continuous professional development, (ii) reform the INSETT system to allow universities to deliver INSETT, and (iii) introduce a fast-track teacher qualification program in universities to bring mid-career professionals into teaching. The project component will (i) help to upgrade pedagogical programs in universities to meet the revised standards and establish international partnerships, (ii) launch INSETT school management and instructional leadership training programs, and (iii) train 10,000 teachers to implement the revised curriculum in schools with a focus on language and STEM.
Output 3: Network of Innovative schools strengthened. The policy-based program component supported the government to (i) expand the network of innovative school clusters nationwide (under tranche one); and (ii) provide innovative schools with a special status giving them administrative, academic, and financial autonomy (under tranche two). The project will (i) rehabilitate 23 innovative schools and KAE; (ii) upgrade the STEM and information and communication technology equipment of 23 new and 30 innovative schools, and provide laboratory equipment to 220 cluster schools; (iii) design and implement a training program on school management, instructional leadership, and communication for the school principals and deputy principals of innovative schools; and (iv) train innovative schools and district education managers on effective networking.
Project Rationale and Linkage to Country/Regional Strategy The Kyrgyz Republic is a landlocked lower middle-income economy in Central Asia with a population of more than 6.3 million and an estimated gross domestic product (GDP) per capita of $1,283 in 2021. Although economic growth averaged 4.5% during 20002018, it has been volatile, reflecting the effect of exogenous and internal political shocks, and heavy dependence on gold production and exports, and remittance inflows. In 2020, GDP declined by 8.6% as a consequence of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, which caused the countrys worst economic contraction on record. The poverty rate increased from 20.1% in 2019 to 25.3% in 2020, and the inflation rate rose from 3.1% in 2019 to 9.7% in 2020. Despite an economic recovery in 2021, with 3.6% GDP growth, in 2022 the Kyrgyz Republic is facing a new external shock caused by the invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation, which is increasing food and fuel prices, and reducing both exports and the inflow of remittances, which accounted for about 32.8% of GDP in 2021. ADB projects GDP growth to slow down to 2.0% in 2022 and recover slightly to 2.5% of GDP in 2023, with significant downside risks from external uncertainties (footnote 4). According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the slow-down of GDP growth will be accompanied by increasing inflation and an expanding fiscal and current account deficit. The slowing pace of the global economic recovery is expected to restrain economic growth in the Kyrgyz Republic and will increase hardship among the poor and the vulnerable. However, the country will remain at moderate risk of debt distress (based on total public debt) because of fiscal consolidation and higher nominal GDP growth. ADBs debt sustainability analysis concurs with the IMF assessment, and assesses the Kyrgyz Republics risk of overall debt distress to be moderate. The government remains committed to sound macroeconomic policies and structural reforms to mitigate the risk of exogenous shocks and support broad-based economic growth.
Impact
Human capital that contributes to the countrys development and economic growth strengthened. |
