The impact of standardized testing on university entrance issues in Kyrgyzstan
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Date
2012
Authors
Shamatov, Duishon
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
M.E. Sharpe, Inc
Abstract
In Kyrgyzstan, the breakup of the USSR raised many issues related to
equity and fairness in education, one of which is the distribution of public
funds to support scholarship admissions to higher education institutions.
After 1992, public institutions could begin to charge tuition fees, but as
a legacy of the USSR, Kyrgyzstan continues providing “budget-funded
places” (public scholarships) for higher education study. In recent years,
the number of these scholarships has been shrinking, resulting in increased
competition for budget-funded places, and unfortunately, their distribution
has been unfair and discriminatory against students from remote regions
and poorer families. To address these issues, the merit-based National
Scholarship Test (NST) was introduced in 2002 to identify the most deserving
youth, irrespective of where they live and their backgrounds.
Moreover, as a crucial part of the test implementation, quota categories
have been introduced to ensure the proportional representation of youth
from various geographic backgrounds at institutions of higher education.
In the years since its introduction the NST has achieved both successes
and setbacks. Generally considered a huge step forward, the NST has
been able to impact equity in education on a broad scale. However, challenges
still remain.
Description
Keywords
European education, Kyrgyz education in the Soviet era, Kyrgyz education, Soviet Union, national scholarship, post-Soviet Kyrgyzstan, national scholarship testing, the impact of standardized testing, Research Subject Categories::SOCIAL SCIENCES::Social sciences::Education