BISHKEK -- Hundreds of Kyrgyz children will not be able to attend schools this year, RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service reports.
Gulshakh Abdyldaeva of the Education Ministry told RFE/RL that 722 kids in Kyrgyzstan, mainly from families with lower incomes, would not attend school this year.
She said her ministry conducts special research on the issue twice a year, in May and August.
The new academic year starts in Kyrgyzstan's secondary schools and universities on September 1.
Kyrgyz human rights organizations focusing on children's rights say that, in fact, over 40,000 children in the country are not able to attend school due to economic hardship.