In a post published on Facebook, the minister stated that more than 50 percent of students fail to reach a basic level of reading and text comprehension skills in the Kyrgyz language. According to her, if the situation does not improve, Kyrgyz could eventually become one of the small languages facing the threat of extinction.

«If a citizen of Kyrgyzstan cannot master the Kyrgyz language, they will not be able to confidently participate in the country’s political, economic, social, cultural, and business life or become a successful leader. Knowledge of the Kyrgyz language and the ability to maintain documentation in the state language are mandatory both in public service and in the service sector,» she wrote.

I do not want any child to feel disadvantaged in their own country because of a lack of language proficiency. Dogdurkul Kendirbaeva

I do not want any child to feel disadvantaged in their own country because of a lack of language proficiency.

The minister also noted that bilingual education programs using two or more languages are already operating successfully in dozens of schools across the country.

Separately, the head of the Education Ministry addressed the transition to a 12-year school education system. She stated that the process is already underway and there will be no return to the previous model.

Amid the online debate, information also emerged about a petition criticizing the work of the Ministry of Education and calling for the minister’s resignation. In comments to the media, Dogdurkul Kendirbaeva said she views such actions as attempts to obstruct the reforms being implemented.

Earlier, the minister’s remarks on the need to strengthen the role of the Kyrgyz language in the education system sparked active discussions on social media. Users have been debating both the country’s language policy and the ongoing school education reform.