Defining Literacy in Mongolian Public Education: Comparison of Knowledge and Skills Tested in Three National Language Exams

Abstract

Mongolia has been actively pursuing global standards in the educational system since the fall of the socialist state; this notion aligns with the rapid globalization and growth of information technology. Recently, the government has begun introducing various initiatives to enhance national language education. For example, a new mandatory examination called the Mongolian Language and Letter Exam was established in 2013 as a new requirement for higher education. This examination was in addition to the two existing exams, namely, the high school graduation exam and the university entrance exam. Although the government lacks an elucidation of the necessity of this reform, the establishment of this exam implicitly creates a new standard of literacy for citizens. To analyze the purpose of the exam and promote literacy standards, the study examined recent education and language policies as well as the knowledge and skills tested through these three exams.

The results indicate that basic literacy has become a crucial issue, once again, in public education due to the unique background of Mongolia regardless of its high literacy rate. Moreover, the findings suggest that literacy education is moving toward the promotion of functional literacy, which is in line with global trends. However, a close examination of exam contents reveal an assumption of extensive cultural background knowledge for successful examinees.