VZCZCXRO2338
RR RUEHAG RUEHDF RUEHIK RUEHLN RUEHLZ RUEHROV RUEHSK RUEHSR RUEHVK
RUEHYG
DE RUEHAH #1633/01 3571231
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 221231Z DEC 08
FM AMEMBASSY ASHGABAT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 2023
INFO RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE
RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE
RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 4606
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 2410
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 2275
RUEHIT/AMCONSUL ISTANBUL 2854
RHMFIUU/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ASHGABAT 001633 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR SCA/CEN 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL TX
 
SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN: SUPPORT FOR THE EDUCATION SECTOR CHALLENGING 
BUT POSSIBLE 
 
REF: (A) ASHGABAT 1384  (B) ASHGABAT 1227 
 
¶1.  (U) Sensitive but unclassified.  Not for public Internet. 
 
¶2.  (SBU) SUMMARY: On December 3-6, USAID's newly appointed Regional 
Education Development Specialist Garth Willis visited Ashgabat to 
meet with Turkmen education officials, international organizations 
and past program beneficiaries. The goal of the trip was to look for 
new ways for USAID to support basic education development in 
Turkmenistan and learn about USAID's earlier work in the education 
sector.  Willis was warmly received by the Minister of Education on 
December 4, but the Minister avoided detailed discussions and 
instead touted the progress of ongoing reforms.  In contrast, the 
Supreme Council for Science and Technology (SCST) under the 
President of Turkmenistan, which is responsible for higher education 
institutes in Turkmenistan -- including teacher training 
institutions -- offered to jointly provide pre-service training for 
new teachers and institutional capacity building at the Pedagogical 
Institute.  USAID is preparing a proposal that would allow it to 
build on the growing relationship with the SCST, which already 
includes cooperation on interactive multimedia teacher training 
(reftel A) and the introduction of International Financial Reporting 
Standards (IFRS) (Reftel B).  END SUMMARY. 
 
SYSTEM NEEDS URGENT REFORMS -- BUT MINISTRY NOT DELIVERING 
 
¶3.  (SBU) Turkmenistan's education system is generally considered to 
need urgent reforms after late President Saparmurat Niyazov reduced 
compulsory education to nine years in 2003 and reduced higher 
education to four years. (NOTE: Four years of university consisted 
of two years of practical work as a requirement before two years of 
classroom study.  END NOTE.) These policies, along with a curriculum 
that encourages rote learning, have created a profound lack of 
technical and intellectual capacity in the emerging workforce.  With 
40 percent of the population under the age of 15, Turkmenistan's 
education sector is not preparing a skilled workforce for the 
increasingly demanding tasks required by the global economy. 
 
¶4.  (SBU) President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov issued several 
important decrees in 2007 that promote educational reform.  These 
decrees include restoring the 10th year to basic education and 
eliminating the work requirement for entrance into higher education. 
 For the past year, USAID has made extensive efforts to engage the 
Ministry of Education (MOE) with the goal of expanding current 
regional programs in teacher training and curriculum reform in 
Turkmenistan.  Following a July 2008 meeting with the First Deputy 
Minister of Education, USAID submitted a proposal at the Ministry's 
request.  Nevertheless, to date, there has been no feedback from the 
Ministry. 
 
¶5.  (SBU) The Minister of Education warmly received USAID's new 
Regional Education Development Specialist on December 4, but 
opportunities for substantial engagement were limited.  The Minister 
and International Department Head, Nury Bayramov, displayed little 
interest in the type of general cooperation proposed by USAID. 
(NOTE: The proposal responded to the request by the First Deputy 
Minister in July.  END NOTE) Instead, the Minister said that reforms 
were progressing and teachers were already well trained, so further 
technical support would have to be described in detail before it 
would be given consideration by the Ministry.  In addition, the 
Minister said that several international organizations were trying 
to "sell" programs to the ministry, and as a former economist, he 
would need specific details before he could choose the best 
product. 
 
FORMER PROJECT STILL FONDLY REMEMBERED 
 
¶6.  (SBU) The previous day, the Regional Education Development 
Specialist attended a roundtable with high school teachers and 
former trainers that worked with the USAID-funded Participation, 
Education and Knowledge Strengthening (PEAKS) project, which 
introduced interactive teaching methods in locations across 
Turkmenistan from 2003-2007.  During the roundtable, participating 
teachers and trainers implored USAID to continue promoting 
child-centered teaching methods that encourage critical thinking. 
 
ASHGABAT 00001633  002 OF 002 
 
 
The group disputed claims that teachers throughout the country are 
well trained.  There is actually limited local capacity to train 
teachers and old methods are the norm in most places, with limited 
chance for teachers' professional development. 
 
¶7.  (SBU) Participants described how training seminars on 
interactive methods were not taken seriously initially and dismissed 
as simply "games," until teachers saw the results and recognized how 
working in teams and adopting critical approaches to problem solving 
motivated students.  The former PEAKS' trainers said that to this 
day they receive calls from teachers asking for more training of 
this type.  The trainers described how they help the teachers as 
best they can, but requested continued support from USAID to help 
push education reforms forward. 
 
SUPREME COUNCIL OFFERS WAY FORWARD 
 
¶8.  (SBU) Seeking to build on its recently established cooperation 
to introduce interactive multimedia teaching methods and 
International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) with the Supreme 
Council for Science and Technology (SCST) under the President of 
Turkmenistan, USAID met with Deputy SCST Chairwoman Akjeren 
Allanurova on December 5. The SCST is responsible for higher 
education institutes in Turkmenistan, including teacher training 
institutions also affiliated with the Ministry of Education.  The 
Deputy Chairwoman was very receptive to expanded cooperation with 
USAID, and offered the prospect of opening a resource training and 
center within the SCST that would allow USAID to provide pre-service 
training for new teachers at the Pedagogical Institute and builds 
its institutional capacity.  USAID is currently preparing a proposal 
for submission to the SCST that outlines a range of joint 
activities. 
 
¶9.  (SBU) COMMENT:  The initial visit by USAID's Regional Education 
Development Specialist showed that teachers clearly are seeking 
training in new methods, but the Ministry of Education has yet to be 
convinced of the potential value of cooperation with international 
organizations.  In this environment, mid-term strategies are needed 
to reach school teachers and those institutions that prepare 
teachers.  The proposed cooperation with the Supreme Council fits 
that bill while building on other recent cooperation. 
 
¶10.  (SBU) COMMENT CONTINUED: The gap between official statements on 
educational reform and reality evidenced by the teachers' 
perspective is profound.  This gap creates a need to both continue 
engagement with those elements that see outside help as an affront 
to Turkmen pride, while moving forward with those actors willing to 
challenge the status quo.  Turkmenistan has relatively little recent 
experience in establishing formal cooperative relationships with 
USAID.  In contrast to its more developed history with the European 
Union and the UN family of agencies, Turkmenistan is still learning 
the modalities of cooperation with the United States.  Accordingly, 
such initial agreements with progressive entities like the Supreme 
Council on Science and Technology represent an interim step toward 
more meaningful partnerships in the future.  END COMMENT. 
 
MILES