by Donna May Lyons, REI Communications & Fundraising Assistant

Across the United States, thousands of children have either returned or are returning to school. According to the most recent U.S. Census numbers, a projected fifty-six million students will be enrolled in the nations elementary through high schools (grades K-12) this fall.

In preparation for back-to-school, a staggering $7.2 billion was spent at family clothing stores and $2.5 billion at bookstores in August 2009. Some other interesting facts from the U.S. Census report:

–There were 98,793 public schools in the United States in 2006-07 and in 2007-08, there were 21,218 private schools.

– There were 7.2 million teachers in the United States in 2008.

– There were 14.2 million computers available for classroom use in the nation’s schools as of the 2005-06 school year. That works out to one computer for every four students.

Those are staggering figures, especially when compared to the country of Kyrgyzstan, one of ten countries where REI staff and volunteers are “Building People to Build Nations.” According to Wikepedia.com, there are 77 public schools in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan, and approximately 200 in the rest of the country. In recent years, budget cuts have reduced teacher salaries and equipment availability in the small country of Kyrgyzstan. Additionally, there is a serious lack of computers. According to a recent educational system overview of the country, it is estimated that “fewer than 10 percent of schools have computers” and “the computers that are in existence are often dated and unable to accommodate technological advancements.” Severe budget difficulties have also meant that new textbooks are not being produced or purchased.

In spite of these deficiencies, a new preschool recently opened its doors in a village of Kyrgyzstan called “Equality.” The preschool was a dream of one local villager for over five years. She and her mother donated 80 percent of the land for the project, and with the help of village volunteers including welders, bricklayers, electricians, etc., the school finally opened its doors on July 1. The school has a staff of two teachers and already a wait list of over fifty students.

A major development organization has offered to fund the advancement of the school’s curriculum, and the school will be the test site for Kyrgyzstan’s first curriculum on inclusive education for children with disabilities. There are currently no programs for inclusive education in the country—children with relatively minor disabilities are barred for life from the public education system if they can’t meet the requirements to enter first grade. This program is designed to allow village women, especially those with little education and with disabled children, to establish their own preschools and help their children meet those minimum requirements.

If the test site goes well, the curriculum partner would like to put the in-country REI staff in charge of establishing the curriculum in villages throughout the country. Members of Kyrgyzstan’s Ministry of Education and top universities in the country want this program to work.

One of REI’s in-country staff was recently asked by a village leader if schools in America help children with disabilities to learn. When the staff member responded yes, the village leader commented, “Well. I never knew that. Please keep working here.”

A project of this magnitude comes at a cost and additional finances are greatly needed so our in-country staff can “keep working” in Kyrgyzstan. Please consider supporting REI’s staff and volunteers in this very significant and valuable work. To do so, you can donate online or send your tax-deductible gift to Account #0701 at Resource Exchange International, 5446 North Academy Blvd. Ste. 202, Colorado Springs, CO 80918.

Check out this YouTube video of the ground breaking, building, and opening of the preschool in the village of “Equality” in Kyrgyzstan.

Photo Caption: A young girl studies Kyrgyz at School No. 105. Photo by Hamid Toursunov , a TOL correspondent in Kyrgyzstan.