Post-Visit Report: Insights from School Visits - Manifesting Learning and Collaborative Practices
Introduction
On December 10, 2024, a school visit took place at Public School No. 63 in Bishkek City, hosted by Director Venera Tilekeeva. The visit was attended by visiting directors Erzhan Asyranov from Talas City (School named after Asylkan Borubaev), Karlygach Orozonova from School No. 40, Bishkek, and the Project Manager, Aigul Karimova. The visit was part of ongoing efforts to enhance educational collaboration through the FORUM project.
School Highlights
Upon arrival, the school principal warmly welcomed the visiting directors and project team. A highlight of the visit was a surprising and creative display at the school entrance, where students performed key characters from Chinghiz Aitmatov’s novels, showcasing their cultural connection to the renowned writer.
The visit proceeded with a tour of the school, allowing the directors to observe various facilities and interact with the staff. After the tour, the directors convened for a discussion of the videos they had prepared, sharing insights on best practices and collaborative efforts within their respective schools.
Discussion Highlights and Best Practices
The discussions underscored several best practices across the participating schools:
- Community Collaboration: Directors from all schools highlighted the positive relationship their schools maintain with local communities and parents. This engagement was seen in various activities, including parent-led initiatives and school events.
- Teacher and Student Engagement: Director Venera Tilekeeva emphasized the strong participation of students in school Olympiads and other extracurricular activities, which are made possible by the dedicated school staff.
- Telemost Project: Venera Tilekeeva shared the success of the “Telemost” project, which integrates online communication, allowing students from her school to connect with students from other countries for competitions, debates, and discussions.
- Support from Local Businesses: Erzhan Asyranov spoke of his school’s successful collaboration with local companies, which enabled the implementation of several projects. He also shared his success in organizing training for 40 school directors in Talas, at the request of the local education authority.
- New School Facilities: Karlygach Orozonova shared the exciting news of her school’s move to a larger, newly built facility that will enable more space for activities and a greater involvement of the local community and parents. However, she noted that despite the larger space, her school still faces challenges in accommodating the increasing number of students from six districts.
Conclusion
The visit highlighted both the challenges and successes of the participating schools. Notably, community collaboration, teacher engagement, and the use of online tools such as the Telemost project were seen as effective strategies for improving education. However, issues such as personnel shortages, overcrowding, and the impact of migration on school capacity were also identified as critical areas requiring attention.
This visit serves as a valuable opportunity for sharing best practices and addressing ongoing challenges in the education system. Moving forward, further collaboration and support from the Ministry of Education and local stakeholders will be crucial in addressing these issues and ensuring the continued success of the FORUM project.
