How to improve the work of government structures in the education system of Kyrgyzstan and what role should Public Councils play in this process? A roundtable meeting on this topic took place on November 21 in Bishkek. The discussion “Information and Analytical Tools to Support the Activities of Public Councils in Government Bodies” was held at the “City Hotel.” Many Kyrgyz experts, as well as employees from several non-governmental organizations and government structures, participated. The meeting was organized within the framework of the project “Stimulating and Monitoring Reforms in the Field of Education Development of the KR,” implemented by the K. Adenauer Foundation and the “BIOM” NGO with the support of the European Union. The organizer of the meeting, Chairman of the “BIOM” Council Vladimir Korotenko answered questions from the correspondent of “SA-Ir News” about the discussion.
– What is the main goal of the event?
– To create opportunities for communication platforms to support the education system. Our project focuses on assisting the activities of the Public Council of the Ministry of Education and Science of the KR (MoES KR), but within the framework of this event, we decided to broaden the context and discuss Public Councils in general and their capabilities for monitoring the activities of government bodies. In this regard, it is necessary to understand what the role of analytical monitoring tools is for all Public Councils, and which methods of analysis and monitoring should be used. Today, civil society cannot always effectively monitor the work of ministries and departments due to their complex organization. As part of our collaboration with the MoES Public Council, a certain experience in the use of information and analytical and monitoring methods has been developed, which can actually be applied not only in the field of education. Additionally, we wanted to become familiar with the developments of other international and non-governmental organization projects that work with public councils. For this, we closely cooperate with the Coordinating Council of Public Councils. During the roundtable, we brought together 4 groups of stakeholders – representatives of public councils, employees of international projects (dealing with this issue), expert communities, analytical centers that have their own analysis tools, and media. The key subject here, undoubtedly, are the public councils of government bodies, one of the main goals of which is to organize the connection between government bodies and the public. For public councils, besides informing, important tasks include monitoring and anti-corruption activities. All this is ultimately aimed at assisting government structures in improving their work and enhancing the quality of services they provide to the population.
– How relevant is this issue now?
– Its relevance lies in the following. In Kyrgyzstan, the institution of public councils has established itself and is becoming increasingly resilient. In December of this year, the two-year term of activity of some public councils will end, and there will be another recruitment for these structures. Activists who have worked in these public councils for several years have accumulated significant experience, and it is important that this experience is documented and accessible for new council members. At the same time, many projects also have experience supporting various mechanisms for anti-corruption monitoring and analyzing services provided by government agencies. All this expertise needs to be “secured” in various publications, discussion platforms, online spaces, etc. Public institutions, as a legally established body for public monitoring, represent one of the most suitable platforms for securing and further applying the developed information and analytical tools and methods for monitoring and evaluating the activities of government bodies.
– Why is such a meeting necessary for “BIOM”?
– Our organization is one of the first public organizations in the field of environmental protection after Kyrgyzstan gained independence. In 1993, we operated as the youth wing of the environmental movement “Alein,” and in 1997 we registered as an independent association. The number of our implemented projects has already surpassed a hundred. The education sector, including Education for Sustainable Development, is one of the key priorities of our organization.
We participated in the development of the Government Program for the transition to sustainable development in execution of the National Strategy for Sustainable Development, adopted by the Decree of the President of the KR in 2012. At that time, we found that the issues of Education for Sustainable Development must have a comprehensive (intersectoral) approach in two aspects. Firstly, within the educational sphere itself: between scientific, technical, and also humanities and natural sciences education. This should be reflected in changing the approaches to the content of education; new textbooks, programs, and teaching methods in schools are needed, taking into account the concept of sustainable development. Secondly, there must be ongoing interaction among various departments and institutions on issues ensuring the safety of the educational environment. For example, it is necessary to ensure that children in kindergartens and schools do not come into contact with harmful, toxic substances, that there is not only warmth but also light, cleanliness, and fresh air, as well as that educational organizations are free from any discrimination, intolerance, and ultimately safe in all these aspects. Therefore, we have been and continue to work on making changes to educational standards and promoting the ideas of Sustainable Development in the education system, both in general and in specific segments.
Consequently, the implementation of the objectives stated in national strategies and programs must necessarily be subjected to monitoring, in which we see a serious role for the MoES Public Council.
– What are your wishes for the members of the MoES Public Council?
– First of all, to implement their own developed plan and focus on issues of content and quality of education, as well as ensuring the safety of children and teachers. Additionally, the work of the public council on the issue of access for the public (parents, experts, other representatives of the civil sector) to decision-making systems in the education sector is significant. If these functions of the MoES Public Council could be successfully implemented, we believe that the quality of education and life in the country would improve.
