Some teachers report an emerging inequality that has led to competition within the staff and effectively divided educators into "two classes." In particular, the salary increase has affected teachers of exact sciences, such as mathematics and physics, while instructors of humanities subjects, including history and literature, have been left without a raise. This has caused discontent among the latter.
Gülkayyr Mayrykeeva, the principal of Mukash Bazar Kulov School in Kara-Bürgön, noted that the requirements for teaching and the workload for all teachers are the same, but this is not reflected in their salaries. "I have been a Kyrgyz language teacher for 26 years. We are told that salaries will be increased in April, but this only concerns STEM teachers. We, the teachers of humanities subjects, are again left without a raise. All teachers spend the same amount of time and effort teaching their students. For example, there are also nationwide tests and exams for language and other humanities subjects. The requirements are the same for everyone. What is happening now confirms the words of dissatisfied teachers," she said.
Jumakul Mashiripova, the principal of Askar Turdakunov Secondary School in the village of Ak-Tal, also considers it erroneous to believe that only STEM subjects are important for future specialists. "I do not deny the significance of STEM disciplines, but the coefficients for salary increases should be uniform for all. While mathematicians, physicists, and computer scientists receive a 15% increase, this is not provided for others. To improve the quality of education in these subjects, it is not necessary to raise salaries. It is more important to prepare teaching materials and provide students with the necessary resources for practical classes. Competitions should also be held for motivation," she added.
The reduction of hours for humanities subjects and the decrease in their coefficients may lead to a loss of national values, Mashiripova believes. "Labor training, music, physical education, and art play an important role in personality formation. To single out one subject as more priority is absurd. Every direction is important for a child's development," she emphasized.
Gülbarçın Mamytbekova, a Kyrgyz language teacher at Shükürbek Beishenaliev Secondary School in the village of Bayetov, pointed out that some teachers receive preferential treatment while others are belittled. "I have been a teacher for 30 years, and I have never seen such a situation in education where teachers are divided by status. If the minister himself divides us into groups, what can we expect from others? Hours for 'prestigious' subjects are increasing, while others are being reduced. Why is the importance of the Kyrgyz language and history not taken into account? What is your goal?" she expressed her outrage.
Bilimbek Kemelov, a physical education teacher at Mukash Bazar Kulov School, spoke about his low salary. "I have been a physical education teacher for 13 years. My salary, including class management, is 17-18 thousand soms. Given a workload of 10 hours, this is not enough for a normal life. Salaries for teachers of humanities subjects remain low, and with the increase in salaries for teachers of exact sciences, we seem to be of no importance to anyone," he noted.
Kemelov's opinion is shared by other educators who are reaching out to the ministry and the union through social networks, requesting fairness.
