As part of the transition to a 12-year school system, Kyrgyzstan is revising approaches to teaching Russian language and literature in schools with Russian as the language of instruction. The announcement was made by Tatyana Matokhina, chief specialist of the Multilingual Education Department at the Kyrgyz Academy of Education, during «Zhanylyktyn Zharchysy» pedagogical forum organized by the Ministry of Education.
According to her, the main innovation will affect the first two grades of primary school. Teachers will now have more time to align students’ skills needed for successful learning in secondary school.
«In the past, we tried to accomplish this in just one year, but the conditions varied greatly: some children could already read, while others were only beginning to understand spoken Russian. Now, thanks to the transition to 12-year education, each child will have their own learning trajectory,» Tatyana Matokhina said.
In grade 1, classes will be taught by teachers who have already piloted «Nаристе» program. During the first half of the year, it helps children adapt and teaches them to listen to and understand Russian speech. By the end of grade 2, most students can already read and write confidently, which helps to even out differences in preparation levels.
Another significant change concerns the middle grades. Under the 11-year system, the Russian language and literature material from grades 4 and 5 was repeated to help students adjust to new teachers and textbooks. In the 12-year system, this duplication will no longer be necessary.
During the transition period, the main changes will only affect grade 5:
- In the first semester, students will learn the core topics of grade 5 from the 11-year curriculum;
- In the second semester — the core topics of grade 6 from the same system.
In grade 7, students are already studying under the 12-year program this year, with changes affecting only teaching methods. The new programs place special emphasis on developing speaking skills and functional literacy — the ability to apply knowledge in practice.
«The main goal is to teach children to use the language as a tool for learning and life. Speech is the foundation of their future success,» Tatyana Matokhina stressed.
