KYRGYZSTAN TODAY Policy briefs on - Department of Geography

PART III. ISLAM AND MODERNITY
Dilaram Akramova,
PhD in theological sciences,
Osh State University, Faculty of Theology
Religious Studies in Schools and Universities
of the Kyrgyz Republic: Problems and Solutions
The issue of religious competence is very important for modern Kyrgyzstan from
political, social, educational and pedagogical standpoints.
There are religious schools in Kyrgyzstan today, but there is no system of religious
education, and the priorities in designing the school curricula have not yet been defined.
There is no due attention to the problem of improving the educational level of practicing
clergy, nor the training of new specialists with sound knowledge of religion and secular
sciences. There is an urgent need to develop the curriculum for a course of “Religious
Studies” for secular schools and universities of the country, and to educate people in
religious matters, in order to prevent religious extremism and eliminate stereotypes about
various religious schools. This lack of basic knowledge of religion among Kyrgyzstan
citizens makes religion a source of political, social and other conflicts.
According to Kyrgyz legislation, every citizen has the right to acquire knowledge
about the religion he professes. However, the Government, the Ministry of Education or
the Muftiyats and Kazyyats do not have specific, well-planned, long-term or short-term
programs in the field of religious education. The schools and universities of the country
do not offer courses. That can teach the basic principles of religions to students. The
curriculum of “Adep Sabagy” (The course of morality), introduced in secondary schools
of Kyrgyzstan in 1992, contains several topics related to Islam in the context of ethnopedagogy
and a brief overview of world religions. However, such a curriculum does not
meet today’s requirements, and does not contribute to solving the problem of religious
education in the country. Some universities, at the initiative of their administration, teach
the subject “The history of religions”, but there is no common curriculum for this course.
Religion, especially Islam, is one of the most important components in the life of
Central Asian nations. Seventeen years of independence after the collapse of U.S.S.R.
have shown that stability in Central Asia depends largely on the religious situation
in the region. We should also take into account the fact that there are many foreign
religious missions.
124