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The Government has determined that ministries conducting weak anti-corruption work and are engaged in formal replies. According to the head of government staff agencies, the Ministry of Education and Health Care provide false information, and the State Agency for Environmental Protection and Forestry submitted last year’s report without changing a letter in the document. The Government declared the work on implementation of the state anti-corruption policy strategy in a number of ministries as insufficient as corruption remains at a high level in these agencies.

Kyrgyz are now focusing on a new standardized test that officials contend will help eradicate graft in universities. Low teacher salaries and the long-standing practice of selling grades make that target a challenge. Many students simply purchase their degrees. In exchange, the instructor allows him to pass without taking exams, or completing the assignments.

A student at a university in Osh is elected by his classmates to pay the bribes necessary for his classmates to get the grades they want. Typically, a student who chooses to buy an education pays about $40 to $50 per semester. Many professors are willing to accept bribes simply to meet basic needs. Salaries for teachers rarely exceed $100 a month.