TURKMENISTAN: MINISTRY OF EDUCATION CRITICIZES FLEX

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ASHGABAT 000249

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

STATE FOR SCA/CEN, EUR/ACE, SCA/PPD, ECA

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL SCUL KPAO TX
SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN: MINISTRY OF EDUCATION CRITICIZES FLEX
PROGRAM


1. (SBU) Sensitive but unclassified. Not for public Internet.


2. (SBU) SUMMARY: The Ministry of Education (MOE) alleged, via
diplomatic note and in a meeting with PAO, that the Future Leaders
Exchange (FLEX) Program for high school students was not being
properly supervised by ACCELS. MOE Minister Annaamanov claimed the
fact that some children changed families or had to return to
Turkmenistan was proof of problems with the program. He suggested
that the program be limited and that MOE vet the host families. The
content and tone had all the hallmarks of Head of MOE International
Relations Nury Bayramov, long-time nemesis of U.S. and other Western
educational programs, and the person who conducted the investigation
into FLEX. We know President Berdimuhamedov wants more U.S.
educational exchanges, which may have once again energized the
anti-Western Bayramov to try to prove a program like FLEX is flawed.
We will push back vigorously, but at the same time we recommend
ACCELS be more forth-coming with information about its programs.
END SUMMARY.

DIPLOMATIC NOTE


3. (SBU) On the morning of February 14, the government of
Turkmenistan sent a diplomatic note to the Embassy which criticized
the FLEX program and its management under ACCELS. [NOTE: Although
it is now the American Councils for International Education, the
organization is still known in Turkmenistan by its former name,
ACCELS. END NOTE.] Specifically it claimed that ACCELS (the
administrator of the FLEX program) was negligent in selecting host
families for the 65 Turkmen high school students sent to the U.S.
this school year. In particular, the Ministry of Education cited
the two students who had to change host families, and two who
returned early. The Ministry complained that it had not been
informed about the two early returnees. The dipnote also suggested
reducing the program to 50 students total for the 2008-2009 academic
year. (NOTE: Under former President Niyazov, MOE frequently tried
to limit FLEX program to 50 students. END NOTE.)


4. (SBU) The diplomatic note arrived at the Embassy around the same
time that post's PAO departed for an Embassy-requested meeting with
the Minister of Education. Minister Annaamanov, accompanied by
Bayramov, opened the meeting with the criticism of FLEX and how
ACCELS administers the program. His complaints echoed the
diplomatic note, but also carried additional concerns and a
suggestion that MOE vet the host families. [COMMENT: This would be
impossible. END COMMENT.]


5. (SBU) The Minister explained that after two students returned
early, his Ministry (NOTE: specifically Nury Bayramov according to
independent information. END NOTE.) undertook an investigation of
the living conditions of current FLEX students in the United States.
The Minister frequently referred to a typed report held in
Bayramov's hands with key points highlighted.

INCORRECT CLAIMS


6. (SBU) Minister Annaamanov made the following points:

-- The Minister claimed (incorrectly) that Turkmen parents had no
idea who their children were staying with in the United States,
saying that many parents had contacted MOE asking for help in
finding their students in the U.S. (COMMENT: This is surely a
fabrication, because the opposite is true -- many FLEX parents
reported recent contact by MOE asking for information on their
children's U.S. host families. END COMMENT.)

-- Annaamanov had the false impression that there was no process for
careful selection of host families, citing the case of an early
returnee who cycled through four host families before she was sent
home. (NOTE: ACCELS made a good-faith effort to help that student
adjust, but her behavioral problems eventually led to her early
return. END NOTE.)

-- The Minister also said that ACCELS had refused to provide

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information on the host families. However, this was the first such
request from the Ministry.

-- Annaamanov suggested that MOE should have a role in selecting
host families.

-- The Minister believed that a student who returned early for
health reasons was a sign that there was no health screening for
FLEX participants. (NOTE: The selection process includes thorough
health screening. The returnee had concealed health information
which would have disqualified his participation in FLEX, had it been
discovered. END NOTE.)


7. (SBU) PAO clarified much of the incorrect information presented
in the meeting, but acknowledged that ACCELS should have provided
information on the two early returnees, and should be reasonably
responsive to the Ministry's requests. PAO also noted possible
privacy concerns about releasing certain information on American
citizen families, but promised to examine the issue. PAO also
stressed that the information provided by the "investigation" gave
the Minister a misleading impression, and encouraged the Minister to
hear from FLEX alumni directly who would universally praise their
year-long experience in the U.S.

THE SILVER LINING


8. (SBU) In a significant contrast to past practice, this
discussion did not derail the entire meeting. Minister Annaamanov
seemed to accept that there could be another side to the story and
toned down his complaints. His final words on FLEX stressed that he
wanted to be sure that it was an effective program and to be sure
that the students were properly cared for. The remainder of the
meeting was more productive and ended on a positive note.


9. (SBU) COMMENT: The attack on the FLEX program is reminiscent of
past practice and has Nury Bayramov's fingerprints all over it.
Even the phrasing used by Minister Annaamanov was similar to that
used by the previous Minister of Education who was also fed bad
information by Bayramov. Our suspicion is that given President
Berdimuhamedov's emphasis on more exchanges, Bayramov and MOE may be
under pressure to show why that is not happening. This
investigation into FLEX may have been an attempt to find negative
information to justify limiting the program. That said, sharing
basic information about the host families as well as providing
reasons why children change families and (especially) have to return
home makes sense. ACCELS providing correct information, before MOE
is able to manufacture it, would be in the best long-term interest
of the program. END COMMENT.


10. (SBU) On February 15, Foreign Ministry Americas Director Serdar
Bashimov (who has a son on the FLEX program in Ohio) recommended to
the Charge - strictly off the record - that the Embassy push back
hard against Bayramov. He noted the diplomatic note had only
"suggested" the number of participants be cut from 63 to 50.


11. (SBU) CHARGE'S COMMENT: Contrary to a rumor we reported
previously, we are told Bayramov is not/not a personal friend of the
President. While he must have protection from somewhere, he's
simply one of those arrogant bureaucrats that exists in any system
who pushes his own agenda, which in his case is old-guard
anti-Western. As long as he is in place, we will have to work with
him, as distasteful as he is. I recommend ACCELS be as forthcoming
as legally possible. For example, it seems basic that the name of
the high school and names/professions of the host families should be
given to the Ministry of Education at the beginning of each school
year. When there are problems that necessitate the early return of
a student, a report should be presented to the Ministry. Further,
ACCELS should remind the MOE, through MFA Protocol, of regularly
scheduled program events in Turkmenistan. On February 16, Bayramov
disrupted TOEFL testing in Ashgabat, claiming the MOE had not been
notified in advance. In fact, ACCELS had given the full year's
schedule in October 2007. But given local conditions, that's
probably not good enough. For public events like testing or

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interviewing, the ACCELS country director, along with the Embassy's
Public Affairs section, should remind the MOE via MFA Protocol two
weeks in advance. END CHARGE'S COMMENT.
HOAGLAND