The long-discussed plan to establish primary schools in Ulaanbaatar’s townships and neighborhoods is finally moving from paper to practice. The idea, first raised in the spring of last year during P.Naranbayar’s tenure as Minister of Education, has now become a government priority as authorities search for ways to tackle the capital’s growing school overcrowding crisis. Following last Tuesday’s Cabinet meeting, Minister of Education L.Enkh-Amgalan announced that 50 primary schools would be established in the city’s townships and residential areas this year, with the capacity to accommodate more than 26,000 children.
“Solving the pressure on general education schools over the next three years through taxpayers’ money would require more than 12 trillion MNT in expenditure. However, the peak burden can be addressed more effectively through proper organization and rational planning,” the minister said. Meanwhile, Ulaanbaatar Mayor B.Purevdagva reported that the city plans to repurpose existing state and private kindergarten buildings into primary schools before the new academic year begins. Through this approach, the city expects to provide places for more than 2,200 students and reduce pressure on overcrowded schools. According to government estimates, by the beginning of the 2026-2027 academic year, around 50 new schools, each designed to accommodate approximately 400 to 500 students, will open their doors. Officials say that additional schools will be established in the following years based on population growth and enrollment demand, gradually absorbing thousands of students and easing the strain on existing institutions.
On paper, the plan appears to offer a practical answer to one of Mongolia’s most persistent education challenges. If successfully implemented, every township and neighborhood could eventually have its own primary school, reducing reliance on overcrowded facilities, eliminating the need for three-shift classes, and improving children’s access to education. For successive governments, ensuring equal access to schools and kindergartens has remained a long-standing challenge. The current administration argues that this approach represents a realistic and efficient way to address the problem, given the country’s economic conditions and limited resources. However, critics warn that the initiative may be more of a temporary remedy than a comprehensive solution. While converting existing buildings into schools may provide immediate relief, it does not necessarily address the deeper issues behind Ulaanbaatar’s education crisis, including rapid urban migration, population growth and the shortage of purpose-built educational facilities. Without careful planning, the policy could simply shift the burden from overcrowded schools to newly created ones struggling with their own challenges, from staffing shortages and infrastructure limitations to maintaining quality education standards.
For years, educational institutions have advocated for introducing childcare services as a way to ease the pressure on overcrowded kindergartens. Organizations that applied to provide such services were granted special licenses and allowed to operate as alternatives to formal preschool institutions. However, the initiative eventually became a failed experiment due to a lack of effective oversight and regulation. Public criticism quickly grew as concerns emerged that children were being placed in buildings with limited space and unsuitable conditions, where they had little opportunity to play, move freely, or develop in a healthy environment. Instead of prioritizing children’s well-being, many argued that some facilities had turned into profit-driven businesses. There are now concerns that the Government’s new plan to establish primary schools in townships and neighborhoods could follow a similar path if proper standards and supervision are not ensured.
Under the “Free Every Mongolian Child from Bad Education” initiative, the government is pursuing a comprehensive package of education reforms, with one of its key measures being the establishment of primary schools closer to residential areas. Minister of Education L.Enkh-Amgalan has repeatedly emphasized that the main solutions to reducing learning gaps are, first, a strong curriculum; second, qualified teachers; and third, schools located close to children’s homes. In the current situation, the best school is a school close to home, the minister said.
The underlying message is clear: given the financial constraints preventing the construction of large-scale schools everywhere, the government believes that bringing education closer to families is the most practical approach. There is no denying that schools located near children’s homes offer significant benefits. Shorter travel distances can save families time and money, reduce transportation pressure, and create a more convenient learning environment for students. However, proximity alone cannot solve the country’s deeper and long-standing education challenges.
Primary education is only one stage of a child’s academic journey. Once students complete primary school, many will still need to transfer to middle and high schools elsewhere. Without broader planning, overcrowding may simply shift from primary schools to secondary schools, leaving urban centers and peripheral districts facing the same problems of excessive workloads, large class sizes and unequal access. In other words, the policy risks treating the symptoms rather than addressing the root cause. Building schools closer to home may provide temporary relief, but it does not automatically create quality education.
A good school is not defined merely by its location. It begins with a safe, supportive and child-friendly environment. It depends on a combination of factors: a well-designed curriculum, sufficient teaching resources, effective teaching methods, experienced and responsible educators, active participation from students and parents, and a strong system for feedback and improvement.
Moreover, one of the biggest challenges facing a densely populated, poorly planned, and rapidly expanding city like Ulaanbaatar is the excessive concentration of schools within already crowded residential areas. Addressing this issue requires careful consideration not only of infrastructure but also of curriculum planning, teacher availability and long-term human resource needs. According to the guidelines for establishing primary schools in residential areas approved by the Ministry of Education, new primary schools will initially be built in townships and neighborhoods with high population density and without existing state-owned general education schools. In other words, the policy targets some of the most crowded and heavily concentrated areas of the capital. However, this approach carries significant risks for students. The challenges range from road safety hazards and traffic accidents to limited environmental accessibility and social difficulties caused by placing schools within densely packed residential complexes.
Schools operating in highly populated neighborhoods have faced similar problems for years and have repeatedly drawn public criticism. One example is a private school that opened two years ago in the “Altai” residential area of the 24th khoroo in Bayangol District. The school has since become a source of frustration for nearby residents and a major concern for parents whose children attend it. Located next to a public housing complex, the school requires parents to drop off and pick up their children through the entrance area of a neighboring residential building. As a result, residents have raised concerns about increasing traffic congestion, disruption to daily life and excessive noise.
The school environment has also created safety issues. During outdoor physical education classes, nearby residents reported that windows of surrounding buildings were damaged, leaving broken glass scattered around the area. There have also been frequent incidents involving students traveling alone through the neighborhood, with some reportedly exposed to the risk of traffic accidents caused by speeding or careless drivers. Unfortunately, these challenges are not unique to one school. Similar problems have emerged in many educational institutions located within residential districts and on the outskirts of urban areas. Yet instead of establishing stronger monitoring mechanisms and enforcing consistent standards, authorities appear ready to expand the same model on a larger scale in the name of reducing school overcrowding.
These concerns represent only the environmental challenges associated with neighborhood schools. If the discussion turns to whether these institutions meet proper standards for classrooms, sports facilities, libraries, kitchens, sanitation systems, and other essential infrastructure, the list of concerns becomes even longer.
Education experts and teachers have strongly criticized the government’s decision to establish numerous small primary schools in residential areas, arguing that the policy was driven by the urgent need to reduce school overcrowding rather than by careful long-term planning.
In particular, B.Enkhsaikhan, a researcher at the non-governmental organization Association for the Support of Teachers’ Labor and Development, described the decision as an overly rushed and arbitrary approach. “We consider this to be a very unreasonable policy. Establishing a primary school requires approximately 2 billion to 3 billion MNT. It is not enough to simply assign teachers to these schools. Each institution requires its own administrative and support staff, a kitchen, and continuous costs for electricity and heating. Operational expenses will also remain high,” he said.
According to him, small schools established in converted buildings or rented facilities cannot operate as efficiently as large, integrated school complexes that combine educational, administrative, and support services under one system. Instead of spreading limited budgets and human resources too thinly, it would be more effective to build comprehensive schools in densely populated areas and suburban districts, he expressed.
While supporting the Ministry of Education’s goals of introducing “one-shift schooling with smaller class sizes” and the principle that “schools close to home are the best schools”, B.Enkhsaikhan emphasized that the solution should not be the mass establishment of small schools in unsuitable buildings or former kindergartens. “We support the idea of improving access to schools, but we do not support opening many small schools simply by renting unplanned spaces and converting old buildings,” he added.
E.Unurjargal, a primary education teacher with more than two decades of experience, also stressed that the physical environment of a school plays a crucial role in children’s development. “Over the years, I have come to understand how important the school environment is for children. It directly and indirectly affects their learning, psychological well-being, and physical health,” she said. She pointed out that international research has repeatedly shown that factors such as classroom lighting, ventilation, noise levels and even the colors of walls and curtains can influence children’s concentration, creativity, emotional state and motivation to learn. “Unfortunately, our education system has not paid enough attention to these specific needs. The priority seems to have become simply placing children in classrooms and finding them a desk,” E.Unurjargal said. She also warned that building primary schools in the middle of crowded residential areas could undermine children’s right to a safe and quality learning environment.
“This approach ignores children’s rights to education and safety. At the very least, it fails to consider the surrounding noise and environmental conditions. How can we implement the requirement that every school and kindergarten should have outdoor green spaces, specialized classrooms, and laboratories if we continue building schools without considering these standards?” she questioned.
The promise sounds attractive: a school will be built near your home, and your child will attend the nearest school. For many parents struggling with long commutes and overcrowded classrooms, this may seem like the ideal solution. But experts warn that convenience alone cannot define a good school. Can parents truly entrust their children to newly established institutions that lack experience, established systems, and consistent educational policies? A school’s value is not measured only by how close it is to a child’s home, but by whether it can provide a safe environment, qualified teachers and a quality education that prepares children for the future.
