Whether one is a herder, a worker, or an intellectual, all are entitled to equal rights. Article 14.2 of the Constitution of Mongolia clearly states: “No person may be discriminated against on the basis of ethnic origin, language, race, age, sex, social origin or status, property, occupation or post, religion, opinion, or education. Everyone is a person before the law.”
However, the government seems to be further fueling discrimination based on social origin. Recently, during a session of the State Great Khural, the Minister of Education, P.Naranbayar announced a proposal to provide free university education for one child from herder families. According to the proposed Law on Herders, this would apply only if the student chooses to major in fields such as livestock production, feed and pasture management at state-owned universities. The funding for this initiative has already been included in the budget of the Education Loan Fund, and the program is expected to launch in the 2025–2026 academic year.
Critics argue that instead of improving the quality of life and working conditions of the approximately 190,000 citizens who fall under the “herder” category, the state is fostering a dependency mindset by offering excessive welfare. The list of such welfare-style measures is long: the government already covers 50 percent of herders’ social insurance contributions, includes them in housing loan programs, provides livestock, and gives incentives for meat and dairy production.
Now, adding free higher education to the list is seen by many as an excessive welfare measure and even a violation to the Constitution. Moreover, limiting the scholarship to specific majors like livestock and pasture management infringes on the children’s right to freely choose their field of study.
Herders have long educated their children without needing handouts. Many are financially capable of paying for their children’s tuition thanks to the income they generate from their livestock. And if they struggle, they can access special herder loans to finance education. So why should this benefit be limited exclusively to herder families?
Parents working in the public and private sectors also scrape together savings or take out bank loans to send their children to university. Ordinary citizens who have paid into the social insurance system consistently for over a decade now wonder why their children don’t receive the same educational support. There is growing sentiment that the government should not favor one social group over another but instead create equal opportunities for all.
Only 2 majors qualified
It’s unlikely that a herder living in a remote mountain valley is demanding, “Send my child to university for free.” More realistically, they care about access to water and pasture, and would rather see investments in processing facilities that add value to raw livestock products. That would actually benefit herders in the long run. But the government’s move seems less about genuine care and more about playing the role of benevolent leaders for political gain.
During a recent session of Parliament, lawmakers agreed that since the Law on Herders includes a provision to offer free university education to their children, it simply must be implemented. Yet Mongolia has no shortage of laws that are passed and never enforced. Whether this law will be put into actual practice remains to be seen.
When asked about it, O.Siilegmaa, Director of the Education Loan Fund’s Working Office, explained: “According to Article 4.2.5 of the Law on Herders, the government will cover tuition fees only for students pursuing degrees in livestock, feed, or pasture management. However, the livestock science program isn’t even accredited. For instance, this year, the Mongolian University of Life Sciences didn’t enroll any students in that field at all. Currently, only nine students in total are studying feed and pasture management.”
She further noted that herder children will be awarded scholarships under the same criteria as other domestic university students. Additionally, proof must be provided that their parent has been a registered herder for at least 10 years. This system mirrors existing scholarships granted to children of teachers and educational workers—on the condition that, after graduation, the student agrees to work in a public educational institution for at least three years in rural areas or five years in Ulaanbaatar City. A formal agreement must be signed to secure the scholarship. The same conditions will apply to herder children.
Starting from September 1, this provision of the Law on Herders is expected to be implemented. However, details such as how much funding has been allocated or how many students will benefit remain unclear.
From what’s been explained, only two majors qualify for the scholarship, one of which lacks accreditation. It seems the Minister of Education rushed the announcement without thoroughly evaluating the current academic programs. The proverb “Sharpen your tools before you start milking the cow” fits well here. Logically, a degree program should first be accredited before student enrollment is considered.
There’s also concern that well-connected, wealthy herders with large herds will take advantage of this opportunity, while poorer families with fewer livestock might miss out. In Mongolia, it’s no secret that many opportunities come down to people whom you know rather than who really need it.
With no clear figure on how many herder children will be supported or how much budget has been allocated, this initiative remains murky at best.
No legal basis for offering free education to civil servants’ children
Recently, salary comparisons between certain professions have sparked heated debate online. A breakdown comparing five occupations revealed that teachers earn the least, with monthly salaries ranging from 1.5 to 1.8 million MNT. Doctors followed, earning between 1.4 and 2 million MNT. In contrast, employees of public sanitation and maintenance companies (commonly referred to as TUK), as well as bus drivers, reportedly earn around 3.5 million MNT, while managers of state-owned enterprises receive as much as 6 million MNT.
The Mayor of Ulaanbaatar, Kh.Nyambaatar, has been particularly vocal in his support for TUK workers, prioritizing their wages and benefits—a move that, in itself, is not entirely unjustified. However, his attempts to gain popularity have gone too far. At a leadership meeting of city officials this past April, he declared that TUK workers’ salaries would be raised to 1,000 USD and promised that their children would be sent abroad for free education.
In fact, he pledged that an initial group of 100 children would be sent to study in Germany. This begs the question: are children of others who work in the capital city not equally deserving of such opportunities? By singling out a specific occupational group, the mayor once again opens the door to discrimination based on social status.
While comparing different professions may not always be fair, one thing is clear: working with people—educating children as a teacher, or saving lives as a doctor—continues to be grossly undervalued in our society. Everyone is aware of this reality. Yet instead of addressing the root causes, our politicians often resort to handouts, promises of free education, or cash payments to pacify the public—an all-too-familiar political tactic.
In truth, there is no legal provision in Mongolia that allows the state to fund free education for the children of TUK employees. O.Siilegmaa confirmed this, stating that this issue falls outside the scope of the fund, which only finances higher education for students who meet specific legal and program-based criteria.
Meanwhile, according to the Mayor Kh.Nyambaatar himself, the salaries of public works employees are now approaching 1,000 USD. After deductions for social insurance and other contributions, they reportedly take home around 3.1 million monthly MNT.
Over 500 students received scholarships (pod garchig)
Since January 1 of last year, the General Law on Education has included a provision stating that one child of a teacher or staff member who has worked for at least 15 consecutive years in a public or state-run educational institution is eligible to study free of charge at a university, as long as they pursue a high-demand and priority profession. Based on this provision, the Education Loan Fund has granted scholarships to over 500 students.
These scholarships are awarded only to students who are enrolled in accredited programs that rank among the top 50 and are aligned with the country’s current workforce needs. Students studying to become teachers are also eligible for this scholarship, as part of efforts to encourage more young people into the education sector.
When asked about the budget allocated for educating the children of long-serving teachers and staff, the authorities from the Education Loan Fund stated that the funding varies depending on how many applicants meet the specific eligibility criteria each year.
Students who receive these scholarships are expected to work in their field of study after graduation, while separate non-repayable financial aid is available throughout the duration of their studies, requiring only that the student maintains satisfactory academic performance.
Such aid is typically extended to students from vulnerable backgrounds—for instance, those with disabilities, orphans, children whose parents are disabled, students from Tsaatan, Uriankhai, or Tuvan minority households, those who have received national recognition for calligraphy, or those from large families with three or more children simultaneously enrolled in bachelor’s programs.
In short, there is a clear distinction between merit- or criteria-based scholarships and grant-style assistance. Yet the public is being misled by vague promises of free education, particularly in the case of herder families, where the issue has been framed more as a political move than a well-researched policy.
It raises the broader question: will our society continue to treat its citizens differently based on profession or social status? Teachers don’t dedicate their lives to education simply because it might one day secure a free university seat for their child. Nor would responsible herder parents force their children to pursue a profession that goes against their interests and aspirations, simply for the sake of tuition relief. As for sanitation workers and TUK employees, are they meant to hold on to hollow promises of their children studying in Germany?
Policies designed for applause rather than substance—those not rooted in data or genuine public need—rarely hold up in the real world. And yet, our leaders continue to use such tactics to pacify, rather than empower, the people.

Published Date:2025-04-11