Torino Process 2012: Kyrgyzstan

The Kyrgyz Republic has been undergoing a period of radical change at institutional level since the summer of 2010. The pace of reform for all sectors, including education and training, was affected by this long period of change. A new education development strategy to cover the period between 2012 and 2020 (Education Development Strategy 2012-2020, known as EDS 2020) was adopted in March 2012. This is the first education strategy to cover the entire sector, including both initial and secondary vocational education and training (VET). It is also the first to set development priorities and define targets for these priorities.

In terms of content, EDS 2020 maintains the focus on quality and access introduced by previous policies, but has a stronger emphasis on inclusion. In terms of VET, there is an additional emphasis on labour market relevance and more interaction with employers. In the education system as a whole, a shift towards results-based management is expected. This will include the introduction of per capita financing. While these developments within EDS 2020 are positive, there are no signs yet of closer interaction between initial and secondary VET, despite a convergence of priorities for reforming the two subsectors. The establishment of a national council for the development of professional skills in March 2012 may be a first step in initiating inter-ministerial cooperation on VET but also in strengthening social partnership in general and employers' involvement in particular.

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