Beginning this year, secondary school students are studying the new core curriculum. Can you elaborate on the purpose and vision of this reform?

Mongolia’s education sector is undergoing great change. We all know that our education system shifted toward a 12-year system from 2009. We’ve changed almost everything - from the curriculum, textbooks, the learning environment and assessment to teacher development and the management of school administrations - in a multi-year plan since the 2012-2013 academic year. Additionally, the Government of Mongolia refined its policy towards education in 2015, and with parliamentary approval we have begun to implement it. This policy focuses on each child’s unique characteristics, shifting from knowledge-based theoretical education towards child-development-based methodology and skills-building based on the students’ needs.

Secondary education reform is focused on discovering each child’s talents and giving teachers the means with which to provide children with life skills, communication and discovery education. Within the scope of secondary-level education, we’re prioritising independent learning, fundamental science education and life-skills learning. However, for high school education, the core curriculum is flexible, fused with future employment and/or further education.

In the 2013-2014 academic year, the primary school curriculum was adopted nationwide. The secondary education curriculum was piloted in the last academic year, and it was being officially introduced this year. The high school curriculum is being piloted.

It takes time to see the results of new things, but preliminary results show that children are becoming more open towards their teachers, more independent and more creative. Children will adopt a proactive attitude of participating in activities and a learning-by-doing approach.

How does this innovation tie in with Sustainable Development Education (ESD)?

In accordance with the “Ecological Education” national programme launched by the Government of Mongolia in 1997, the ESD guidelines encompass coexisting with nature, protecting and improving nature, learning healthy lifestyles and natural resource management, and appreciating natural beauty. When this was approved, the entire education system began having an ecology class from 1998. The General Education Standards approved in 2005 incorporated ESD concepts, but it was only in 2009 when the system shifted to 12 years that ESD lessons were included. When we conducted a baseline survey in the 2013-2014 academic year to measure the impact of this inclusion, the results showed that although natural science lessons had developed its content, the methodology of teachers and the application by students were insufficient. Irrespective of how sound the curriculum and the content appeared, effectiveness was low when it was delivered. This demonstrated to us the importance of first educating the teachers who transfer the knowledge.

Secondly, the survey revealed to us the importance of enhancing students’ textbooks. Using this lead, our ministry and the SDC are implementing a new project and partnering with some civil society organisations. The project has been greenlighted and we’re at the peak of operation.

Mongolians have a long tradition of protecting nature. By building on this legacy with ecologically positive attitudes and values for young generations, we can build a new culture. The fact that such a culture has economic significance is the main justification of ESD.

How are you collaborating with the MEGDT on this?

Our objectives and the final vision are the same. We’re working from two ends to reach one goal. With the MECS, we’re delivering ESD through formal education, whereas with the MEGDT, our target group is different. With them, we are reaching citizens and local organisations through informal education and contributing to green development and a green economy. Thus, both ministries are cooperating and are striving to cultivate green development attitudes within every Mongolian.

Thank you.

What are your impressions of SDC’s programme in Mongolia following the review and given the changing national context? Are we doing the right thing at the right time and in the right place? Are we aligned with the Mongolian government’s development policies?

First of all, it was a good exercise to undertake this review in the light of the rapidly changing political, economic and social context. It was necessary for us to look back and review our activities to determine whether we are doing the rights things in the right places with the right partners. We invited our partner organisations to listen to their insights and recommendations as they are very involved in our programme, yet they are outsiders to SDC and bring in different views from ours. In that sense, our workshop held on 4 February was very rich and gave us a lot of food for thought.

In terms of alignment with the Mongolian Government, the workshops and their preliminary work showed that we are well aligned with Mongolia’s development priorities. During my mission we had several engaging talks with some minsters, including the Minister for Food and Agriculture and the Minister for Labour. It has been confirmed that SDC’s engagements are indeed tackling Mongolia’s development needs.

Among others there are two important conclusions from our workshop: (i) We are coordinating and adjusting well with the development plans of the Mongolian Government, which is working towards democracy and a fair and prosperous society; and (ii) We will even strengthen the focus on aspects of poverty in all its dimensions to ensure that attention is paid to the most vulnerable strata of the population and social inclusion is enhanced. Questions related to poverty reduction, vulnerability and inequality in Mongolia were often addressed during our review as they are the core mandate of SDC.

What changes and implications do you see after the review of the SCS? On what will SDC’s programme be focused?

The findings and conclusions from this review will require us to make certain adjustments in our current strategy. We see that it is important to link up and streamline our projects among themselves in order to have a greater impact. This leads us to probably focus more on fewer projects that have a greater impact rather many small-scale projects.

The other conclusion was the importance of building up and linking our beneficiaries to markets. We help people with vocational education and skills to produce better. However, their products must be linked to the markets in order to make a livelihood, cover their needs and live in dignity. Also the market access will make the projects more sustainable.

Our third conclusion was related to poverty. In order to tackle this broad and multi-dimensional issue still present in Mongolia, we need to analyse more and permanently poverty issues in the framework of our action. We agreed that we need to have more insights in order to focus even more to reach the poor - our ultimate target.

We have discussed our geographical focus areas. SDC has a focus on rural development, primarily in the western region in Mongolia. Yet there were questions related to shifting the focus of target areas. Are we going urban, dealing with urban development issues? Is there any scope of change to focus on the national level?

We concluded that our work in rural areas is very relevant. These areas are not densely populated, yet they need support. This will remain within our focus. We will stay in rural areas and we will continue our cooperation, which already has a good basis and positive results. There is a lot of scope to scale up to the national level based on our extensive experience in rural areas. We work within three layers of governance structure, and we will try to feed this knowledge and experience to the upper layers, or I would say to implement at the national level.

Ulaanbaatar city is from the development perspective a challenge with its migration and spontaneous settlements around it. The municipality has a great task to deal with the rapidly growing city. SDC is already working in the ger (suburbs) districts of Ulaanbaatar with a number of small projects. In the future, we will give more consideration to working in urban areas, probably with the projects with which we have already gained good experience that can be replicated. They will not be a new thing, but we will work with those projects that have proved to be successful elsewhere.  This is the case with the new phase of Governance and Decentralisation Programme (GDP), which will be implemented soon. The principal of the GDP is not a matter of urban or rural; rather, it’s a concept that can be applied in different settings.

You’ve met several high-ranking officials in Mongolia. What are their impressions of SDC’s programme in Mongolia?

I felt very welcomed. SDC has worked here for ten years and has built up good relations with the government to the point that the two countries maintain a friendly relationship. The continuity is an important aspect in this cooperation. The new government confirms these good relations. The ministers I met were well informed on what contributions SDC is making to Mongolia’s development and they pay importance to our cooperation.

Any more comments or impressions? Maybe you can give us your general impressions on Mongolia and its people?

This is my second visit to Mongolia. I enjoyed the cold season this time. Coming in winter, I could experience the cold and the challenges that come with it. I imagine how hard it would be for people in rural areas in this harsh climate. Regarding the capital, air pollution is a big challenge which bears health concerns.

Both times I visited Mongolia, I felt good here. People are friendly, open and hospitable; you can easily make a connection with them and lead interesting in depth substantial discussions. It was also a pleasure to see so many engaged national employees of SDC working for the programmes as well as representatives of the civil society and the Government – there is a real commitment behind all this work. I wish all of them much success in their endeavours.