Citizenship Education in Kyrgyzstan: Building a New Democracy

Abstract

This article reviews a country-wide citizenship education programme in Kyrgyzstan, exploring its reception within the context of an emerging democracy. Qualitative interviews with students, teachers and non-governmental organisation workers in three regions of Kyrgyzstan highlight the value given to particular aspects of the curriculum: new content and perspectives on citizenship; an engaging, content-rich textbook; and interactive instructional methods. These are all found to transform individual outlooks, self-efficacy, classroom dynamics and teacher–student relationships. Because the context is an unstable political, economic and social situation, the curriculum becomes positioned as revolutionary as students are encouraged to build a new system, albeit one that resembles Western democracy. Critical issues arising out of the programme include the meaning and purpose of consensus within a classroom; ways to value different types of participation; and how to indigenise the type of citizenship in the curriculum.

Active Citizens in a Weak State: ‘Self-Help’ Groups and the Post-Soviet Neoliberal Subject in Contemporary Kyrgyzstan

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Education solutions for child poverty: New modalities from New Zealand

“…Are indigenous needs, perspectives and strengths guiding recommendations and priorities? Bahbahani’s (2012) research into citizenship education in Kyrgyzstan profiled the critical issue of how to indigenise citizenship in the curriculum. For Pacific regions, Samu (2010) says so far as indigenising Pasifika approaches go, there is evidence and knowledge for Oceanic perspectives of education; perspectives connected to and anchored by an authentic network of Pacific knowledge and authority, recognising and encompassing new forms of Pacific expression and identity, enhancing authenticity and relevance, within our realm of research and education.…”