Education in Kyrgyzstan is compulsory for nine years, between ages seven and 15. Following four years of primary and five years of lower secondary school, the system offers two years of upper secondary school, specialized secondary school, or vocational/technical school. In 2001 some 89 percent of the relevant age-group was enrolled in the compulsory program, but this figure has decreased in the early 2000s. In 2005 some 49 institutions of higher learning were operating, most notably Kyrgyz State University, Kyrgyz Technical University, Medical Institute, Osh State University, Asian Medical Institute, Kyrgyzstan, and Kyrgyz-Russian Slavonic University. The majority of primary and secondary schools teach in Kyrgyz, but the language of instruction in the higher institutions is Russian. Budget cuts that have reduced teacher salaries and equipment availability are reflected disproportionately in reduced numbers of female students. In 2003 some 4.5 percent of gross domestic product was spent on education. In 2004 the literacy rate in Kyrgyzstan was 98.7 percent.
