Field Reports

Bringing the educational system in line with recognized world standards constitutes the core of the school reform concept in Kazakhstan. Government spending on education is rising. This year alone, more than 5 billion tenge were allocated to build new schools, primarily in the countryside and 24438 government grants were offered to high school graduates enrolled in universities.

The harvest is nearing its final stage in Southern Kazakhstan, while in the North farmers have just started the campaign. If sunny dry weather persists for at least a month, the most important granaries in North Kazakhstan, Kostanay and Akmola regions will bring in roughly 10 million tons of wheat. Despite cautious optimism among farmers, the major problem of making grain production a profitable business remains.

Prisons in Kyrgyzstan are in a desperate condition. Insufficient nutrition, overcrowding, spread of infectious diseases are problems that have been flourishing in Kyrgyz prisons. Taking up serious measures and reforming the penitentiary system of the country as a whole is urgently needed in order to prevent a further worsening of the situation.

On July 24, on the orders of Education Minister Ishengul Boljurova, all 30,000 copies of the book Healthy Living were withdrawn from the libraries of all Kyrgyzstani schools. The following day, the authors of the book, designed to provide basic sex education to high school students, were sued by the Public Committee for Defense of the Honor and Dignity of the Kyrgyz Republic. The authors of the book and the publishing house are accused of offending traditional values and violating the mentality and customs of the Kyrgyz people.

With the approaching presidential elections of October 15, the political situation in Azerbaijan is heating up by the day. Mass protest actions of the opposition are getting a more and more intensive character. The appointment of Ilham Aliyev as prime minister has meant that all instruments of power ahead of the elections will be in his hands. It will certainly rally the ruling elite around him. Moreover, it will allow him to greatly influence the pre-election situation. And finally, the leading countries of the West, as well as international organizations, have had to reckon with Ilham Aliyev’s position, in fact acting as the head of the state.

On July 19, a Partnership Forum or the fourth roundtable discussion under the title of “Kyrgyz Statehood in the Third Millennium: New Mechanisms for Partnership between the State Authorities and Civil Society” was held in Bishkek.

So far, Kazakhstan’s all-out attempt to bring its oil on the world market at low possible economic and political costs seems to be as fruitless as it is ambitious. But putting into operation the huge oil-processing complex and the Karachaganak – Ulken Shagan – Atyrau pipeline at the beginning of this month, a significant event solemnly marked by top government officials, brings the country nearer to that goal. It is also likely to fan long-running controversies about oil revenues.

Widespread corruption within the system of education in Kyrgyzstan is not a secret to anyone in the country. Bribing is there on every level of the educational system. Very often, parents have to provide “financial assistance” to a principal to place their children at prestigious schools. It is hard to get a doctor of science degree without paying a certain amount of money. Corruption in the process of university admission and scholarship allocation has also caused much dissatisfaction among the Kyrgyzstani public.

The Ministry of Health Care, international and non-governmental organizations in Kyrgyzstan has warned that the country is witnessing an unprecedented HIV epidemic. Statistics of the Republican “AIDS” center show that the number of registered carriers of the virus in Kyrgyzstan leaped up to 425, while the number of people contracting AIDS is 13. Ten of these have already died.