OECD - The Times Of Central Asia

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Education

New OECD Assessment Reveals Central Asia’s Student Performance

International student assessments help governments identify where students are succeeding, where they are falling behind and how learning outcomes are changing over time. The Programme for International Student Assessment, or PISA, tests how well 15-year-olds can apply what they have learned in science, mathematics and reading to real-world problems. Run by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the assessment is intended to identify weaknesses and track whether learning improves over time. The results released on September 8 show improvement in some areas, declines in others and significant gaps in the regional data. PISA 2025 placed particular emphasis on science and introduced a new assessment of computational problem-solving, part of its broader work on learning in the digital world. What the Results Show Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan participated nationally. Tajikistan was represented by Dushanbe rather than a national sample, while Turkmenistan did not participate. Participant Science Math Reading Comp. ProblemSolving Kazakhstan 420 414 385 449 Kyrgyzstan 363 364 344 388 Dushanbe, TJK 334 382 368 — Uzbekistan 438 N/A N/A 402 OECD average 482 463 461 500 Kazakhstan recorded the highest published regional scores in mathematics, reading and computational problem-solving, while Uzbekistan recorded the highest score in science. Uzbekistan’s mathematics and reading results were not published, preventing a complete comparison across the three core subjects. Central Asia remained below OECD averages, but Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan scored higher than several EU member states in some subjects. Across OECD countries, average mathematics and reading performance fell to the lowest levels yet recorded by PISA. Science was comparatively stable. What Changed The latest scores and the longer-term trends do not always point in the same direction. Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan both participated in PISA in 2022, while Kyrgyzstan’s previous participation was in 2009. Country ComparisonPeriod Science Math Reading Kazakhstan 2022–2025 −4 −12 −1 Kyrgyzstan 2009–2025 +33 +33 +30 Uzbekistan 2022–2025 +83 N/A N/A Kazakhstan’s mathematics score fell by about 12 points from 2022, a statistically significant decline for the country. Its smaller declines in science and reading were not statistically significant. Kyrgyzstan improved in mathematics, reading and science compared with its previous participation. The gains cover 16 years rather than a single PISA cycle. Uzbekistan recorded the largest movement in the regional results. Its science score rose from 355 in 2022 to 438 in 2025, an increase of 83 points. That was also the largest science gain among education systems with comparable results worldwide and more than twice the next-largest increase of 38 points. What Other Assessments Show Other international assessments help put the larger changes in context. Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan were the only Central Asian countries to participate in the 2023 Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study, or TIMSS. The assessment tests younger students and uses a different methodology from PISA. Among eighth-graders, Kazakhstan scored 443 in science and Uzbekistan 396. Two years later, PISA recorded science scores of 420 for Kazakhstan and 438 for Uzbekistan. The assessments cover different students and testing methods, so the scores cannot be compared directly....

Anti-Corruption

Uzbekistan Hosts IV Tashkent Anti-Corruption Forum

On October 17, 2024, Uzbekistan hosted the IV Tashkent Anti-Corruption Forum, gathering over 250 participants, including officials, international experts, and representatives from civil society. The event was organized by Uzbekistan's Anti-Corruption Agency and partners including the European Union, GIZ (German International Cooperation), and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The forum highlighted Uzbekistan’s progress in fighting corruption and improving its position in key international rankings, such as Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index. Uzbekistan’s successful completion of the OECD’s 2023 anti-corruption evaluation, scoring over 86 points, making it the highest ranked country in Central Asia, was also praised. Key achievements include implementing a national anti-corruption program, creating a long-term strategy for 2030, and actively involving civil society in the fight against corruption. At the forum, a major milestone was the signing of an agreement between Uzbekistan’s Anti-Corruption Agency and the World Bank’s Integrity Vice Presidency to work together on training, projects, and research to combat corruption. The forum also featured discussions on using new technologies to prevent corruption, building a culture to resolve social conflicts, and addressing conflicts of interest through compliance systems.

OECD Strategy Economy Investments

OECD Representative Office May Open in Kazakhstan

An initiative to open a representative office for the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in Kazakhstan has been announced by Deputy Prime Minister Nurlan Baibazarov and William Thompson, Head of the OECD Eurasia Division, who met earlier this week. To date, OECD regional offices operate in China, Indonesia, Ukraine, and Greece, according to the website of the Government of Kazakhstan. During the meeting, the parties discussed implementing OECD recommendations, implementing the Joint Action Plan of the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the OECD Secretariat until 2025, and cooperation within the framework of the OECD Eurasian Competitiveness Program. William Thompson noted the positive experience of OECD interactions with Kazakhstan. Following recommendations from the OECD, several political and economic reforms have been carried out in the country. In particular, institution of investment ombudsman was introduced, parliamentary control over the use of budgetary funds was strengthened, the Low Carbon Development Strategy of the country until 2060 was developed, and the National Contact Center for Responsible Business Conduct and the Supreme Audit Chamber were established. Direct elections of akims (heads) of districts and cities of regional significance has also been introduced. "Our country has been a stable partner of the OECD for more than 15 years and a Central Asian leader in implementing its recommendations. In 2025, Kazakhstan intends to apply to join this authoritative international organization as a full member. We are confident that further cooperation will have a qualitative impact on the socioeconomic and legal aspects of the development of our state," Nurlan Baybazarov stated.

Education Culture Central Asia Uzbekistan Social OECD

Uzbekistan’s Schoolchildren to Sit International PISA Tests

In 2025, Uzbekistan, with the support of the World Bank, will participate in the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) administered by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), with pilot testing starting this May. PISA testing assesses the ability of students from more than 80 countries in their knowledge and skills in reading, math and science. When allocating funding for PISA testing in 2019, World Bank experts noted the acute shortage of teachers and their low qualifications and in addition, the absence of means to assess both the quality of preschool education and a comfortable environment for learning. "Investing in children's early education is one of the most effective ways to develop human capital, which in turn will stimulate economic growth in the country," Hideki Mori, the head of the World Bank's representative office in Uzbekistan, said at the time. Last year's test results placed Uzbek schoolchildren in the bottom ten of the 80 participant countries. The cause indicated significant problems within the domestic education system and subsequent data revealed a direct correlation between test results and families' socioeconomic status. To address the issue, officials plan to allocate more than $3.7 billion for schools and school education curricula this year.