In the capital of Kyrgyzstan, the III Education Festival recently took place. This means we can confidently say that a new tradition has been established in the city.
Again, following tradition, the two-day education festival was grand in scale and number of participants. During these warm spring days, Bishkek resembled a bee swarm: interactive demonstration sites, or “classes,” were spread throughout the city, where informative exhibitions, workshops, quizzes, contests, and concerts took place from early morning until late evening.
There were a total of six such “classes”: on the territory and in the buildings of the Kyrgyz National Agrarian University named after K. I. Skryabin, in the Old Square, in Dubovyy Park, at the children and youth center “Seitek,” the Russian Drama Theater named after Chingiz Aitmatov, and at the site near the monument of Kurmandjan Datka. Interactive “lessons” were held simultaneously there. The townspeople and numerous guests of the capital simply had to choose a site based on their interests.
The I Education Festival – 2013 focused on the importance and priority of quality education for society and immediately established itself as a needed and relevant event for both children and adults. It appealed to both groups and demonstrated the public’s need for the regular conduct of such events.
The next II Education Festival – 2014 “delved deeper” based on the high demand in the country for technical specialists: it aimed to revive people’s interest in technical and engineering professions, as well as to develop scientific and technical creativity among children and youth and provide opportunities for obtaining engineering, vocational-technical education, and education in the field of information and communication technologies in Kyrgyzstan.
The III Education Festival focused on disseminating traditional ecological knowledge, raising environmental awareness and responsibility among children and youth for the careful use of non-renewable resources. It became one of the components of a large-scale eco-project “Think Globally, Act Locally!” and can rightfully be called an eco-festival. The theme of this festival is also very relevant in light of the implementation of the National Strategy for Sustainable Development in our country until 2017. Issues such as energy conservation and efficiency, environmental pollution, and biodiversity conservation are becoming increasingly urgent.
“The entire recent history of Kyrgyzstan is marked by reforms, which today are seen as a response to the challenges of time,” says Vladimir Korotenko, chairman of the Ecological Movement “BIOM.” “The education system is also undergoing reform, including in the field of ecology.”
The education system of the Kyrgyz Republic has a well-developed infrastructure, qualified teaching staff, and significant traditions of teaching and upbringing children. However, at all levels of education, there are a number of problems: only 15% of children receive support from preschool educational organizations. Key issues for the school level include school infrastructure, and the accessibility and quality of education.
Research by international organizations estimates the number of children of school age who do not attend schools, either permanently or temporarily, is approximately 50,000.
According to former president Roza Otunbayeva, there is a lot of talk today about the continuous decline in the quality of education. Instead of these discussions, such educational festivals set a high standard in the country and help to push from it.
Parents and children clearly see the “status” of quality education and science. The whole family could visit classes: “Education for All,” “Exhibition-Fair,” “Book Stall,” “Bilimbek’s Laboratory,” “Fairy Tale World,” sports and concert-theater classes, an eco-market, and even a flower exhibition-fair. Over the course of two days, visitors could immerse themselves in the amazing world of ecology, participate in exciting scientific excursions, training sessions, workshops, and ecology quizzes, experiments, games, and gain a wealth of positive emotions, learning where in the country they could obtain education in scientific, technical, and ecological specialties. Schoolchildren and preschoolers seamlessly transitioned from being passive observers to active participants in various ecological actions and events.
A huge interest among all present was sparked by the “solar exhibition,” where attendees could witness firsthand the possibilities of the sun. The sun heated water in a “solar barrel” and even “fried” a delicious “solar” scrambled eggs with sausage. Many were eager to try such a dish! As a reward, the exhibition guests were gifted ecological newsletters and posters developed as part of the International School Project on Resource and Energy Conservation SPARE. Kyrgyzstan participates in this program alongside 17 countries in Europe, the Caucasus, and Central Asia.
All visitors felt happy learning something new. Here, one could get acquainted with nearly all fields of preschool, school, and vocational-technical education. And all this was interspersed with exciting concert performances, theatrical productions, and sports competitions. Thus, a favorable environment for a healthy lifestyle and sustainable development was created.
The city became colorful and especially festive: the festival was accompanied by various flash mobs, dance battles, festive concerts, and even circus performances, as well as sports and intellectual games. A picturesque exhibition-fair unfolded in the city, where everyone could purchase various books as well as crafts made by children’s hands.
In this unobtrusive manner, the III Education Festival contributed to increasing civic responsibility and the level of ecological culture among children and youth, as well as the residents of Bishkek.
The festival has ended, but it left a wealth of unforgettable emotions in the heart of everyone who attended the festival events that day.
