A key part of the recent International Conference on Educational Strategies and Innovations, hosted in Kyrgyzstan by Taalim-Forum and the Ministry of Education and Science of the Kyrgyz Republic, was a meeting to exchange knowledge and experience on implementing educational policies and strategies in the ongoing processes of digitalization in education. Among the participants were representatives of the Ministries of Education and Science of the Kyrgyz Republic and Mongolia, their relevant agencies, and partner organizations.
Participants were particularly interested in the experience of piloting an E-school in Mongolia. Representatives of the Mongolian General Authority for Education emphasized its effectiveness in improving the quality of education for students from remote pastoral areas, socially vulnerable and migrant workers families, and ethnic Mongolians living abroad. E-schools can solve the problem of teacher shortages in remote and sparsely populated areas. Students received an opportunity to study with the country's best teachers in the subjects they need. Narrowing the achievement gap between urban and rural students, improving academic performance, and motivation to study demonstrate the effectiveness of E-school and the need for further steps.
The Head of the Digitalization Department of the Ministry of Education of the Kyrgyz Republic emphasized the importance of learning from the Mongolian E-school. This is especially true for Kyrgyzstan where a new Law on Education has been adopted, and the E-school model is being developed.
The representatives of Bilim Media Group UpSkill company (Kazakhstan) shared their experience in the development of digital educational resources and state-private partnerships. Representatives of the Information Technology Center of Education in Mongolia became interested in cooperation with the company to consider the possibility of providing access to digital resources for ethnic Kazakh families in Mongolia.
The participants expressed their strong commitment to the continuation of further knowledge exchange and communication in the development and implementation of educational strategies and programs in Central Asia.
