Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- The Minister of Education and Science of Kyrgyzstan Almazbek Beishenaliev wrote on his Facebook page that schoolchildren will start studying at the age of six, Dunyo news agency reported.

“About 12 years of education. Now the child will go to the first grade at the age of six, not seven, and the zero grade will be abolished. Then the child will not lose a year. We will comply with world standards,” the 24.kg news agency quoted the minister as saying.

The agency clarified that there is no talk of introducing an additional year of study. Just the preparatory class (zero) is called the first. The result is 12 years. However, it is not reported when 12-year education will be introduced.

According to 24.kg news agency, earlier at the republican meeting of social workers, the Minister of Education and Science announced a reduction in the teaching load for schoolchildren. According to him, now it is 1,200 hours a year. “This is a big physical and psychological burden on students. We have reduced it to 820 hours,” the minister said.