Japarov allocates 8.5 billion som for school textbooks in Kyrgyzstan

September 26, 2026 at 02:55 PM2 min

This digest was compiled by AI from multiple sources — links to the originals are below.

President Sadyr Japarov signed a decree allocating 8.5 billion som from the state budget for publishing school textbooks and teaching materials. The Cabinet of Ministers was instructed to develop a state program for textbook publication for 2027-2030. The decree follows a criminal case over textbooks found being sold illegally in Bishkek markets.

Key Facts

President Sadyr Japarov signed a decree allocating 8.5 billion som for publishing school textbooks and teaching materials.
The Cabinet of Ministers was instructed to develop and submit for approval a state program for publishing textbooks and teaching materials for 2027-2030.
The decree provides for the creation of an interdepartmental commission to revise curricula and prepare new literature.
Each textbook will receive a unique QR code to track its distribution to a specific region, school, class, and student.
The Bishkek police department opened a criminal case under the article 'Misappropriation or embezzlement of entrusted property' after textbooks intended for free distribution were found on sale in markets and online.

Decree Provisions

The decree aims to create a comprehensive system for preparing, publishing, and distributing modern textbooks and teaching materials that meet educational standards. The interdepartmental commission will review new curricula, textbooks, and teaching materials for general education organizations under the Cabinet of Ministers. Textbooks will undergo expert evaluation for compliance with state educational standards and modern methodological requirements. Authors of textbooks will be selected separately, and finished materials will be chosen on a competitive basis. Authorities also intend to revise the mechanism for distributing educational literature among schools.

QR Code Tracking

Each textbook will receive a unique QR code, allowing tracking of its path to a specific region, school, class, and student. The marking system is intended to create a unified system for preparing, publishing, and distributing textbooks in the country's schools. The QR code will enable monitoring of the entire distribution chain from publication to the end user.

Criminal Investigation

Earlier, parents reported a shortage of new textbooks in schools, while books intended for free distribution were found for sale in markets, shops, and online. The Bishkek police department opened a criminal case under the article 'Misappropriation or embezzlement of entrusted property' regarding these textbooks. The investigation is establishing the origin of the textbooks and the circumstances of their entry into free sale.