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EDU01


Solutions that create problems: Examples from education reforms in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan 
Convenor:
Martha Merrill (Kent State University)
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Chair:
Pakiza Shirinova (Kent State University)
Discussant:
Barbara Junisbai (Pitzer College)
Format:
Panel
Theme:
Education
Location:
Lawrence Hall: room 205
Sessions:
Saturday 21 October, -
Time zone: America/New_York

Abstract:

In 1991, Central Asian nations became independent. Each needed to reform its education system. Thirty years later, some of the attempted reforms have had unintended consequences.

Martha Merrill examines the new private domestic universities in Uzbekistan. They are meant to increase access, since 40% of the population is under 24. However, many were established by wealthy business people who do not fully understand academia. Most emphasize business and IT, teach in English, are located in Tashkent, and charge very high tuition. Thus the goal of increasing access is not attained.

Ali Ait Si Mhamed researched a proposed reform in Kazakhstan. Titled “per-capita per-credit” funding, its goals are to strengthen outcomes-oriented budgeting, enhance student choice, and increase competition between universities. University funding would be allocated by the number of credits a student takes each term. However, university leaders expressed concerns about the policy, including the sufficiency of funding and the need for new internal processes. They suggested that the policy could create new problems.

Chynarkul Ryskulova investigates the private accreditation processes in Kyrgyzstan, initiated in 2016. Five independent agencies, all of which accredit all kinds of programs, now are active. Private accreditation has led to a number of new problems, such as agencies bidding on the work at public universities and insufficiently-trained reviewers who can not be qualified in all disciplines. Moreover, quality is considered a function for external evaluators. Creating what in the European Higher Education Area is called an internal “quality culture” has not been achieved.

Mir Afzal Tajik and colleagues studied the challenges that graduate students in Kazakhstan encounter in English Medium of Instruction programs. Data were collected from students, professors, and program directors at 10 public and private universities in five cities. Students reported that they were dissatisfied with their academic English, experienced low confidence and anxiety in making presentations in English, enjoyed using English less than either Russian or Kazakh, and had concerns about their reading and writing skills. Implications for macro-level policy designers are suggested.

Christopher Whitsel explores the educational attainment of Russians in Central Asia. Considering household data compiled by UNICEF for the years 1991 to 2006 and then re-analyzed by himself and colleagues, he finds that in both compulsory (primary and secondary) and higher education, Russian minorities have lower educational attainment than the Central Asian majority members.

Each of our papers describes a solution that has, in turn, created new problems.

Accepted papers:

Session 1 Saturday 21 October, 2023, -
 
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