Kyrgyzstan: After teacher assaults pupil, lawmakers rush to protect educators
The moral development of young people is a recurring concern of President Sadyr Japarov.
Viral video footage of a teacher savagely beating a schoolchild has split the public in Kyrgyzstan, with some horrified by the violence as others grumble that young people need to be taught manners. Officials, meanwhile, have reacted by pushing for laws to criminalize disrespect toward teachers.
The incident in question, which occurred at a school in the southern Jalal-Abad region, was precipitated by a squabble between the 14-year-old victim of the assault, Kadicha Zhaanbayeva, and a fellow student, who also happened to be daughter of the teacher. Zhaanbayeva reportedly sustained a concussion.
Education Minister Almazbek Beishenaliyev was the first member of the government to weigh in by saying that the cause of teachers behaving aggressively is in the behavior of the children. He nevertheless criticized the teacher in this instance.
“The teacher should not raise their hand or cause the children mental harm. But there are things happening in society that are pushing teachers to this point,” he said. “This is happening because of a lack of spiritual education and a void in children. If we gave children a good upbringing in the home, these things would not happen.”
Edil Baisalov, the deputy prime minister with the portfolio for social affairs, took a similar line on May 26, condemning the savage assault before jumping to the defense of weary education workers.
“Pupils should not argue with teachers. This is an iron rule,” he said. “The teacher should not need to prove anything or have to assert themselves over anything. In the school, the main authority is the teacher.”
In the other corner of this argument are children’s rights groups, who held a demonstration in front of the Education Ministry on June 1.
Those activists are likely to be appalled by how lawmakers are responding to this episode. On May 30, parliament began considering draft legislation to fine the parents of pupils who swear in class or otherwise disrespect their teachers. The bill envisions fines of between 2,000 and 5,000 Kyrgyz som ($25-60) depending on the age of the child and whether the offense is a repeat event.
“Children only mirror the behavior and attitude of parents toward teachers: If a child sees a disrespectful attitude on the part of parents toward a teacher … it is unlikely they will feel anything for teachers other than contempt,” an argument accompanying the bill states.
One author of the bill wants to go further and ban children from being allowed to have mobile phones in school.
The moral development of young people has become a recurrent theme in official discourse since President Sadyr Japarov came to office in 2020. Last month, he approved a national program designed to promote “traditional family values” and “national traditions” in educational institutions.
His government is paying less attention to physical abuse against underage people. According to the General Prosecutor’s Office, 244 cases of violent acts against children, some of them committed in schools, were recorded in 2021. The figures are almost certainly a very substantial undercount.
Locating the cause of teacher stress primarily in the manners of children appears at best like a questionable diagnosis. Kyrgyzstan has for many years been experiencing a severe shortage of schools, leading to overcrowding in the classroom. In the largest cities, Bishkek and Osh, schools are packed with twice as many students as they are designed to accommodate.
Meanwhile, teachers are paid paltry salaries. Half the working teachers are either of pension age or approaching it. Many instructors also lack the training to do the job. One research group has found that around 35 percent of teachers in Kyrgyzstan lack even basic reading and math skills.
Ayzirek Imanaliyeva is a journalist based in Bishkek.
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