As of December 2025, schools in Kyrgyzstan are experiencing a shortage of 761 teachers, according to the Ministry of Education. The highest number of vacancies is observed in Bishkek, as well as in the Chui and Batken regions. What is preventing the retention of staff in schools and what measures are being taken by the authorities?
Problems with education...
...are particularly noticeable at capital school No. 29. One parent of a sixth grader reported that, according to the schedule, there should be 4-5 lessons a day, but in reality, only two are held. Other subjects, including literature and physics, are not taught due to a lack of teachers. "Now we are looking for another school to transfer our child," he shared.The mother of an eighth grader at the same school noted that since the beginning of the school year, they have been deprived of teachers for Russian language and literature, as well as history and the subject "Man and Society".
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“Physics is taught by our homeroom teacher, who is not a physicist. The situation with chemistry, if I'm not mistaken, is similar, as there are no teachers. This is concerning, as next year the children will have to take state exams. How will they manage?! We will have to spend significant amounts on tutors, otherwise the chances of getting into a good university in Kyrgyzstan and abroad will be minimal. Meanwhile, the school is constantly changing its principal, and the situation is only getting worse,” said a resident of the capital to 24.kg.
She also noted that previously parents helped finance the school until the authorities prohibited it.
“We used to pay 4-5 thousand soms a year, and this money was used for security, repairs, and additional payments to teachers. Back then, there were no problems with teacher shortages, and lessons always ended after 5 PM. Now, on some days, the children have only 2-3 lessons. I am willing to pay even now, as long as my child is educated properly,” added the parent.
Some teachers are retiring, others are moving abroad — to Kazakhstan, Russia, Turkey, or European countries. Additionally, many are choosing to work in private schools.
According to the Ministry of Education, there is a particularly acute shortage of teachers in mathematics, music, Russian language and literature, physics, history, chemistry, and geography.
This is reflected in the results of the nationwide testing.
Low salaries and high workloads
Angelina Soutova (name changed) — a primary school teacher, began her career in September 2025.“Many young teachers plan to finish the school year and leave. The main reasons are the high workload: you not only have to teach children but also interact with parents, keep reports, and solve problems in the classroom. In public schools, there are 40 students in a class, which makes it difficult to maintain discipline. The salary issue is also important. For example, for 24 teaching hours a week, the salary is only 28,000 soms, and after taxes, it remains 22,800,” she said.
Angelina does not hide that she is considering changing professions or working only as a subject teacher. “I don’t want to deal with homeroom problems and constantly bear responsibility for the students. I just want to teach,” she emphasized.
The Federation of Trade Unions previously outlined the reasons why teachers leave their positions:
- low wages;
- old and unsuitable buildings;
- overcrowded classes — 50 children in one class;
- expectation to always be available;
- atmosphere of pressure and misunderstanding;
- lack of respect, safety, and prestige of the profession.
According to a study by the trade union labor institute, only 5.5% of applicants consider the teaching profession.
“This indicates that in a few years, there will simply be no one to teach children. The profession has lost its prestige and has become a trial,” noted the FPS.
On the other hand, some teachers also behave inappropriately. For example, recently at one of the capital's schools, a teacher hit a student standing at the blackboard several times and was dismissed.
Getting through to April
In November 2025, teachers in Kyrgyzstan launched a flash mob on social media, sharing their salary amounts. For many, it turned out to be lower than that of janitors or cleaners.According to the Ministry of Education, the minimum salary for a teacher in Kyrgyzstan is 12,000 soms, and the maximum is 72,000.
The salary amount depends on the level of education, region, workload, and teaching experience, as well as the availability of bonuses.
As of April 1, a 100% increase in teachers' salaries is expected.
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According to President Sadyr Japarov, the average salary of teachers today is 26,000 soms. From April 1, 2026, it will increase to approximately 52,000.
“In a city school, the salary of a young teacher without experience, who has a secondary pedagogical education, will be 36,800 soms from April 1, and after taxes, it will be about 31,200. A mathematics teacher working in a remote area with 30 years of experience currently earns 65,800 soms, and after the increase, it will reach 97,600 soms,” he stated.
The capital's education department reported that since 2010, the "Young Teacher Deposit" program has been implemented to support novice teachers.
Within this program, 100 young specialists are selected annually, who receive additional financial assistance.
In December 2025, 49 participants in the program received payments totaling 4 million 465.1 thousand soms.
In addition, local authorities cooperate with pedagogical universities, providing students with internships and job opportunities. Together with the Ministry of Science, Higher Education, and Innovations (MSHEI), work is underway to prepare teaching staff in the most in-demand specialties. Agreements on cooperation have been concluded with universities.
“The implementation of these measures helps retain young teachers in the education system of Bishkek and gradually solve the problem of teacher shortages,” officials are confident.
Recently, a meeting was held at the MSHEI to discuss a new model for training teaching staff. However, when asked by 24.kg what exactly it entails, when it will be implemented, and how the ministry plans to address the teacher shortage in schools, the department was unable to respond.
