Many teachers report an emerging inequality that has led to internal competition and effectively divided them into "two classes." The salary increases have only affected teachers of exact sciences — mathematics, biology, computer science, chemistry, and physics, while educators of humanities subjects, including geography and history, have seen no changes in their pay, which has caused their discontent.
Gülkayır Mayrykeeva, the principal of Mukash Bazarkulov Secondary School in the village of Kara-Bürgön, emphasized that the teaching requirements and workloads are the same for everyone, yet this is not reflected in salaries. "I have been working as a Kyrgyz language teacher for 26 years. They say that a salary increase is planned for April, but only for STEM teachers. Last time we were also overlooked. All teachers spend the same amount of time and effort on teaching. Students in humanities subjects also undergo testing and exams. All requirements for teachers are equal, and this is unfair," she noted.
The principal of Askar Turdakunov School in the village of Ak-Tal, Jumakul Mashiripova, believes it is wrong to consider STEM subjects as the only important ones. "I acknowledge the importance of STEM disciplines, but the coefficients for salary increases should be the same for everyone. Mathematicians and physicists receive a 15% bonus, but this does not solve the problem. It is much more important to ensure that textbooks meet modern requirements and to create conditions for practical classes. Regular competitions for schoolchildren can also increase motivation," she added.
According to Mashiripova, the reduction of hours for humanities subjects and the decrease in coefficients for them leads to a loss of cultural values and the history of the nation. "Music, labor training, and art play a significant role in personality formation. Therefore, highlighting one subject as more important is absurd. If a subject is included in the state standard, it means it is important for the child's development," she emphasized.
Gülbarçın Mamytbekova, a Kyrgyz language teacher at Shükürbek Beishenaliev School in the village of Bayetov, also expressed her dissatisfaction. "I have been a teacher for 30 years. I have never seen such a division of teachers by status and priorities. If the minister divides us into groups, what can we expect from the others? The hours for 'prestigious' subjects are increasing, while for humanities they are decreasing. Why don't you recognize the importance of the Kyrgyz language and history?" she questioned.
Bilimbek Kemelov, a physical education teacher at Mukash Bazarkulov Secondary School in Kara-Bürgön, shared his concerns about low salaries. "I have been working for 13 years, and my salary, including my role as a class supervisor, is only 17-18 thousand soms. This is not enough even for basic needs. The salaries of teachers of humanities subjects remain low, and we feel unjustly deprived," he noted.
Opinions about inequality in pay among teachers are also voiced by other educators who are reaching out to the ministry and unions through social networks to express their demands.
