Reforms in the education system: orientation to the future and the demands of societyIn Kazakhstan, on the instructions of the Head of State, reforms are being carried out in the field of education. The task of providing the economy with qualified personnel has been set. Against the background of global trends and internal challenges, the Government of the country is striving to create a modern and accessible educational environment, oriented towards the future and meeting the demands of society. The link between the best universities and the real sector of the economy is to be strengthened. Work is under way to synchronise innovation policy with the country's scientific and technological priorities.

Expanding access to preschool education

Since 2019, Kazakhstan has been working systematically to reform the sphere of preschool education, aimed at improving accessibility, quality and transparency. One of the priorities of the state policy is to ensure the right of every child to quality preschool education and training.

If in 2019 there were 10.5 thousand preschool organisations in the country, where 892 thousand children were brought up, by 2025 the number of such organisations has increased to 11.8 thousand, covering more than 1 million children. At the same time, there has been a transition from small mini-centres to the creation of full-fledged kindergartens with a sustainable material and technical base.

Significant changes have also occurred in the issue of the waiting list. In 2019, there were 446,176 children on the waiting list for a preschool place. As of 1 January 2025, this figure has decreased to 84 thousand children aged 2 to 6 years. Thus, in six years, the number of those waiting has decreased almost 5 times. This was possible thanks to the systematic expansion of the network of preschool institutions, the introduction of new approaches to the allocation of places and digitalisation of processes, such as voucher financing.

Previously, the kindergarten enrolment procedure was accompanied by numerous difficulties: overloaded electronic queues, territorial imbalance, non-transparent seat allocation schemes, and fictitious enrolments. These problems were especially acute in large cities and fast-growing agglomerations. Today, these difficulties are gradually being overcome thanks to digital services, the automation of child registration and the introduction of transparent procedures for the provision of public services.

A key step in improving the efficiency of pre-school financing was the introduction of the voucher system. Since 9 July 2024 in Taraz city a pilot project on placement of the state educational order for preschool education and training taking into account personalised financing was launched.

The system provides parents with a voucher - an individual ‘certificate’ that can be used in any kindergarten that meets all requirements - public or private. This increases choice for parents, promotes competition between organisations and improves the quality of services. In addition, the system eliminates duplication and fictitious lists, which has saved more than 27 billion tenge.

Today, the voucher system has been scaled in 12 cities and 3 districts. By the end of 2025, the project will be gradually introduced throughout the country according to the approved schedule.

At the end of 2024, 93.1 per cent of children from 2 to 6 years of age were covered by preschool education and training. It is planned to increase coverage to 95 per cent in 2025 and to reach 100 per cent by 2028, as envisaged in the Concept for the Development of Preschool, Secondary, Technical and Vocational Education for 2023-2029. This instruction was given by the President as part of the implementation of the election programme "Fair Kazakhstan. For everyone and for everybody. Now and forever".

Thus, Kazakhstan is demonstrating steady progress in preschool education. Consistent reforms, reliance on digitalisation, introduction of voucher financing and priority of accessibility make the system more efficient and family-oriented.

Reforms in the secondary education system

In recent years, Kazakhstan has taken large-scale steps to modernise its secondary education system, aimed at improving the quality of education, improving conditions for students and teachers, and introducing modern educational standards.

As of the beginning of the 2024-2025 school year, there are about 8,000 schools in the country, with more than 3.9 million students, including 352,000 first-graders.

In the 2024-2025 school year, 406,000 teachers will work in Kazakhstan's schools - 8,000 more than in the previous year. From 2020, teachers' salaries have been increased by 100 per cent as part of a policy to raise the status of teachers. In 2023, additional bonuses for pre-school teachers and teachers of technical and vocational education were introduced, as well as additional payments for qualification categories, length of service, working conditions, academic degrees and mentoring. In rural areas, teachers' salaries are at least 25 per cent higher than in urban areas.

In 2025, more than 11,000 teachers took professional development courses, with about 58 per cent of them being rural teachers. On 1 January 2025, a new platform for the continuous professional development of teachers was launched to ensure the transparency of the certification process.

Modern pedagogical approaches are being actively introduced into the educational process, including polylingualism, inclusive education and various types of assessment. Considerable attention is paid to digitalisation: 1,757 schools have STARLINK satellite internet connections, and all textbooks have been digitised and are available on 11 digital platforms.

Kazakhstan became the first country in Central Asia to undergo international accreditation of the national system for assessing the quality of school knowledge - MODO. This tool has received the RCEC (Research Centre for Examination and Certification) quality mark, which confirms its compliance with international standards. MODO allows for an objective assessment of the effectiveness of educational programmes, identifying the strengths and weaknesses of the educational process and determining directions for further development of the education system.

MODO assesses three areas of literacy: reading, maths and science. MODO allows assessing the effectiveness of educational programmes, identifying strengths and weaknesses in the educational process, as well as identifying areas for further improvement of the quality of education.

During two years of cooperation with RCEC, seven stages of MODO accreditation were passed, which included the development of the assessment framework, creation of test questions, test design, test administration on a digital platform, scaling and analysing the results in accordance with international standards.

For the successful functioning of the educational system, special attention is paid to the training of teachers, and the prestige of this profession is being raised. The State is making efforts to attract the best specialists to the educational sphere. As part of the reforms, teachers' salaries have been increased and programmes have been introduced to improve their qualifications and develop their teaching skills. This work is already yielding results, and more and more school graduates are choosing pedagogical specialities for further education.

The system of certification of teachers has been automated in the republic. Thus, from 1 January 2025, the phased introduction of the National Platform for Continuous Professional Development of Teachers Ustaz began, which makes the certification process more transparent. In 2025, about 150,000 Kazakhstani teachers will be certified through the platform.

At the initiative of the President, a unified education programme Adal Azamat is being introduced in all educational organisations. Starting this year, public schools are also joining it, and in 2026 measures will be taken for large-scale dissemination.

Within the framework of the programme, Parents' Pedagogical Support Centres (PSCs) have been opened in schools and Psychological Support Centres (PSCs) have been set up in the regions. One of the priority areas is to strengthen the role of class teachers as mentors and educators of the younger generation.

Comfortable School Project

Since 2019, Kazakhstan has been implementing large-scale infrastructure projects that have provided more than 1 million pupils with places in 1,200 new schools. Especially significant were the results of 2023 and 2024, when 422 schools with 510,000 pupil places were put into operation.

These indicators were a real breakthrough in addressing a number of key issues, such as the elimination of 32 emergency and 71 three-shift schools, as well as eliminating the shortage of places in 200 schools across the country.

Systematic work continues to address the issues of emergency and three-shift schools, which includes comprehensive measures, including through budgetary funds, and attracting investment.

One of the main priority tasks in the framework of the ongoing reforms has become the creation of a comfortable environment for children's education. A large-scale project ‘Comfortable School’ is being implemented in the republic, and new infrastructure standards are being developed, providing for modern comfortable classrooms, sports halls, recreational and creative spaces.

On the instructions of the Head of State, 217 schools for 460,000 pupils are being built in the country as part of the Comfortable School national project. As of today, 105 of them have been commissioned, 112 more comfortable schools will be completed by the end of 2025.

In addition, 127 schools for 92,000 pupils are being built at the expense of the republican and local budgets, as well as attracting private investment.

No less important step was the establishment of the Education Infrastructure Support Fund in 2023, which is financed from the funds seized from corruption. Thanks to this fund, the construction of 89 schools for almost 100,000 pupils has been financed. Of these, 61 schools with 74,400 seats have been commissioned.

At the same time, modernisation of 1,000 schools in district centres and villages continues in seven areas. Over the past three years, the material and technical base of more than 4,000 schools has been upgraded, and more than 2,000 schools have been equipped with modern classrooms for robotics, chemistry, biology, physics and STEM areas.

Renovation of schools will be the next stage of transition to a unified modern format of school infrastructure. In accordance with the President's instruction, it is planned to renovate schools in all regions of the country within the next 3 years. To date, 1,231 schools have been identified for renovation, more than half of which 54%  are located in rural areas. As part of the work, it is planned to replace roofs, renovate facades and windows, overhaul engineering communications electricity, heating, water supply, sewerage and ventilation. The school territories will also be landscaped and planted with greenery.

Technical and vocational education

The year 2025 has been declared the Year of Working Professions by a decree of the Head of State. As part of the implementation of the initiatives, the position of career guidance teacher was officially introduced in secondary education organisations for the first time to provide systematic support to schoolchildren in choosing a profession and to establish interaction between schools, colleges and employers.

A pilot project is being implemented to award working qualifications to high school students. The initiative is aimed at strengthening the practical orientation of school education and expanding early employment opportunities for young people. At the end of the 11th grade, schoolchildren receive not only a certificate but also a diploma of secondary technical education. To date, 905 graduates have already completed their studies with a college diploma, gaining professional qualifications and the opportunity to enter the labour market immediately.

In February 2025, on the fields of the festival City of working professions the solemn opening of the Year of working professions took place. Over 300 events were held during the 5 days of the festival, 250 memorandums of cooperation were signed between colleges and enterprises, and professional diagnostics was carried out for more than 30,000 schoolchildren.

In addition, to identify and support talented and promising students of the system of technical and vocational education, as well as to create a talent pool of highly qualified specialists, a national competition TOP - 100 students of colleges of Kazakhstan was held.

Preparation for the JasSkills and JuniorSkills competitions has begun, as well as a vocational guidance campaign on the ‘Mansap Kompassy’ platform, covering 100,000 students.

As of today, 772 colleges are providing training in the country. The contingent is only 556 thousand students, out of which 85 per cent are studying under grant and 65 per cent of the state educational order is for technical specialities.

The state order will be increased in such areas as geology, energy, metallurgy and engineering, transport, communications, IT, construction, pedagogy and medicine, mining and water.

In order to support college students, scholarship payments have been doubled: in 2023 - 50% and in 2024 50%, covering more than 300,000 students. More than 87% of the needy students are provided with places in hostels. From 2019 to 2023, 76 dormitories for 14.8 thousand places were commissioned, this year another 11 dormitories for 2.5 thousand places. In addition, students under the state order are provided with social support - meals and travel. Undoubtedly, this has had an impact on the involvement in technical professions among the active population.

Colleges implement educational programmes in 227 specialities and 753 qualifications.

Personnel training is conducted in 15 areas of the country's economy, where the average employment rate of graduates is 79 per cent, including education 80.3%, oil and gas industry 64.9%, electric power industry 79.6%, metallurgy 77%, transport 75.4%, construction 82.7%, agriculture 75%, etc.

From 1 September 2025, the amount of per capita financing for technical and vocational education organisations will increase twofold. According to the current methodology of per capita normative financing, the average amount of funds allocated for the education of 1 student is 437 thousand tenge, now it will be an average of 912 thousand tenge. The new normative funding consists of the main and incentive parts, with incentive payments given to colleges that have achieved specific indicators. The new system of financing will make it possible to train competitive specialists, equip educational organisations with modern material and technical equipment, and organise professional development courses for teachers.

Inclusive education and protection of children's rights

For the first time, a standard for special psychological and pedagogical support for children with special educational needs has been developed. A systematic approach to supporting children with special educational needs at all levels of education is being consolidated at the State level.

An Act on comprehensive support for children with special educational needs is being drafted, which will include interdepartmental mechanisms for family and child support.

Work is under way to establish a National Centre for Continuous Inclusive Education. Ninety per cent of the country's schools have conditions for inclusive education, and the coverage of children with special psychological and pedagogical support has reached 85 per cent. The network of special education organisations has reached 504 units. A total of 121 support rooms for children with special educational needs have been opened in schools.

As part of the improvement of legislation, in 2024 educational organisations:

- at the levels of pre-school education and training, technical and vocational education, a staff unit of ‘teacher assistant’ has been introduced;

- The position of ‘special teacher’ was added to the standard staff of general education organisations;

- A new post of ‘individual assistant in the organisation of education’ has been introduced for the physical support of children with locomotor disorders;

- Separate standard staffing levels for psychological, medical and pedagogical consultations, psycho-pedagogical correction rooms, rehabilitation centres and support centres for children with autism spectrum disorders have been approved;

- Support centres for children with autism are included in the list of service providers of the State service ‘Rehabilitation and social adaptation of children and adolescents with developmental problems’;

- A remedial component for children with autism has been introduced in the model curricula for preschool education and training.

Early support offices have been opened in 11 regions of the country under the auspices of 18 centres. More than 10,000 teachers working with children with special educational needs have taken refresher courses.

The admission quota for citizens with disabilities has been increased from 1 to 10 per cent when applying to study in TVET organisations.

QR codes of access to the contact centre ‘111’ have been introduced in schools and colleges for quick and safe communication for the protection of children. This is an opportunity to receive psychological, legal and social assistance anonymously.

In 2025 it is planned to increase the staff of the guardianship bodies by 2.5 times. In addition, mentors of orphans will now undergo psychological training.

In addition, the State had allocated more than 12 billion tenge to provide free meals to primary school pupils attending public schools. Psychological support centres provided assistance to more than 250,000 schoolchildren and their families during the current year.
Technical and vocational education

The year 2025 has been declared the Year of Working Professions by a decree of the Head of State.  As part of the implementation of these initiatives, a vocational guidance teacher has been officially introduced in secondary education institutions for the first time to provide systematic support for pupils in choosing a profession and to establish interaction between schools, colleges and employers.

A pilot project is being implemented to award working qualifications to high school students. The initiative is aimed at strengthening the practical orientation of school education and expanding early employment opportunities for young people. At the end of the 11th grade, schoolchildren receive not only a certificate but also a diploma of secondary technical education. To date, 905 graduates have already completed their studies with a college diploma, gaining professional qualifications and the opportunity to enter the labour market immediately.

In February 2025, on the fields of the festival ‘City of working professions’ the solemn opening of the Year of working professions took place. Over 300 events were held during the 5 days of the festival, 250 memorandums of cooperation were signed between colleges and enterprises, and professional diagnostics was carried out for more than 30,000 schoolchildren.

In addition, to identify and support talented and promising students of the system of technical and vocational education, as well as to create a talent pool of highly qualified professionals held a national competition ‘TOP - 100 students’ colleges of Kazakhstan.

Preparation for the JasSkills and JuniorSkills competitions has begun, as well as a vocational guidance campaign on the ‘Mansap Kompassy’ platform, covering 100,000 students.

As of today, 772 colleges are providing training in the country. The contingent is only 556 thousand students, out of which 85 per cent are studying under grant and 65 per cent of the state educational order is for technical specialities.

The state order will be increased in such areas as geology, energy, metallurgy and engineering, transport, communications, IT, construction, pedagogy and medicine, mining and water.

Summer holidays and safety

The Ministry of Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan has started preparations for the summer campaign. In the summer of 2025, it is planned to cover 3.1 million children with various programmes of health improvement, recreation and employment. Of these, over 500,000 are children from socially vulnerable categories. With the support of the Kazakhstan Khalkyna Foundation, 10,000 children will have the opportunity to have a free holiday.

All organisational issues are being worked out within the framework of a joint plan of nine State bodies. Republican and regional headquarters have been set up for this purpose. A list of recreation centres has been prepared and they plan to start operating this summer.

Memos, instructions and guidebooks have been prepared and will be distributed to promote a culture of safe and active summer recreation.

Special attention is paid to ensuring safety. Control over the observance of sanitary norms, food safety, as well as precautionary measures on water, in the forest and at sports facilities has been strengthened.

A total of 16 year-round camps, 188 seasonal camps, more than 10,000 school camps with and without meals, as well as 512 tent and yurt camps are planned to open in stages this year.

#Education #Ministry of Education #President's instruction

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