FORUM for Public School Directors in Kyrgyzstan: A Collaborative Platform for Knowledge Sharing and Leadership Development among Public School Directors in Kyrgyzstan
Meeting Report Summary January 20th, 2024
Session Focus: The fourth session of the FORUM convened online with a focus on Domain 3: School Management in the Light of Changing Education Policy. The meeting included 25 attendees: public-school directors, co-conveners, a guest speaker, and a project coordinator from the Institute of Education. The session centered on how directors are adapting to evolving educational policies and managing school operations in light of these changes.
Key Discussion Points: The discussion revolved around three key segments:
- Specific Challenges: Participants discussed the difficulties in adapting to new education policies, managing staff resistance, and coping with additional non-educational tasks.
- Strategies and Actions: Attendees shared their approaches to managing these challenges, including providing training, implementing methodological support, and leveraging digital tools for workflow efficiency.
- Resources and Needs: Directors highlighted the resources at their disposal, such as administrative teamwork, and outlined the additional support needed to navigate ongoing changes.
Task Force Presentations: The session featured presentations from directors who shared insights into their specific management challenges and their solutions:
- One director emphasized adapting to new policies, focusing on staff support and conducting training sessions to equip teachers with new competencies.
- Another director outlined the need to bridge the gap between traditional and digital teaching methods, promoting innovation and offering methodological support to staff.
- A third director discussed addressing staffing shortages through innovative reward systems, stakeholder collaboration, and comprehensive training programs to attract top talent.
Open Session Discussion: During the open discussion, directors engaged with the guest speaker, exploring strategies to overcome key challenges. Concerns about teacher shortages, evolving education policies, and the need for effective mentorship were addressed. The guest speaker highlighted ongoing Ministry efforts to raise teacher salaries and tighten entry requirements for pedagogy programs. Directors discussed the need for more effective professional development programs, as well as issues stemming from inconsistent standards.
Key Takeaways:
- Directors acknowledged the need for flexibility in teacher professional development, addressing teacher shortages, and providing mentorship to bridge the gap between new policies and classroom practices.
- The guest speaker suggested that the FORUM could act as a collective voice for schools in Kyrgyzstan, advocating for improved alignment among stakeholders to enhance educational quality.
Conclusion: The fourth session of the FORUM provided a collaborative platform for directors to share experiences, discuss challenges, and identify solutions within the context of changing education policies. The meeting concluded with participants reflecting on key insights and contributing to the ongoing development of future sessions.
