This report aims to provide an evidence-based diagnosis of the Kyrgyz Republic’s education sector, to enable decision makers to adjust national policies. The analysis focuses primarily on the public education sector, with limited commentaries on private engagement in vocational and higher education. As requested by the Ministry of Education and Sciences (MOES) of the Kyrgyz Republic and its development partners, the report tries to take a sweeping view of the education system, and provide some analytical and empirical insights that could inform efforts to reform the country’s education sector going forward. While taking stock of data from the past ten years, the report also seeks to situate the analysis in the context of emerging strategic initiatives in the education sector and national development. More than anything else, this analysis should be viewed as an informed input into ongoing education policy discourse and practices in Kyrgyzstan as the MOES embarks on the critical preparatory phase of defining the country’s new education sector strategy for the years 2020 and beyond. The analysis is based on the Methodological Guidelines for Education Sector Analysis co-developed by Global Partnership for Education (GPE), the World Bank, UNICEF and UNESCO Institute of Statistics. It is also informed by critical insights about the way forward gathered from independent local experts and key stakeholders throughout the process of report development. It aligns with the GPE recommendations to use the methodological guidelines ‘a la carte’ to ensure local ownership. The first four chapters of this report attempt to set out how things have worked over the past decade. The last two chapters – on crosscutting priorities and delivering reform – attempt to shed light on why progress has been slow and what efforts could be focused on going forward.