New teacher hiring procedures implemented in Kazakhstan

At a regular Government session chaired by the Prime Minister of Kazakhstan, Alikhan Smailov, the issues of preparation for the new school year were considered. Reports on this issue were made by the Minister of Education Askhat Aimagambetov, and the Minister of Science and Higher Education, Sayasat Nurbek. Akims of Abay region Nurlan Urankhayev, and Zhetysu region Beibit Isabaev reported on the readiness of new regions for the school year.

The Ministry of Education together with the local executive bodies are working on the preparation for the new school year. 7,637 schools with 3.6 million children and 384,000 teachers will be working in the new school year.

The new school year begins on September 1 and will last for 36 weeks, to May 31, Aimagambetov said. From the first days of summer, schoolchildren will traditionally go on summer vacation. Accordingly, the summer months will be fully restful for schoolchildren. 

"The duration of summer vacations in Kazakhstan, compared to the leading countries of education, remains the longest - 92 days. In total, children will rest four times in one school year. At the same time, in sum with days off and holidays, children will have a rest for 192 days and only 173 days they will go to school," the Minister of Education said.  

Some changes have been made to school programs in the new year.

"First. According to the results of research and examinations, we have found that it is difficult for a 1st grade schoolchild to learn three languages at once. A child must first be able to read and write in their native language. That's why we made a decision that in the 1st grade with the state language of study children will study only the Kazakh language, and in Russian language classes they will study the state and Russian languages. From the 2nd grade Kazakh language schools will start studying Russian language. English language will be studied in all schools from the third grade," Aimagambetov explained. 

Also, in order to provide early career guidance to children in the first grade, the subjects "Labor Training" and "Art" are introduced. Sixth graders in the subject "Music" will be able to learn to play the dombra optionally. Also, at the expense of additional elective courses, children will have the opportunity to study chess.

As noted by the Minister of Education, changes were made to strengthen the management and staffing of schools.

"This year the institute of rotation of heads of educational organizations was introduced. As of today, 431 principals have been rotated. A new procedure for hiring teachers is being implemented. Now teachers are competing based on measurable criteria, such as education, experience, qualification category and professional achievements," the Head of the Department said.  

In addition, rules have been adopted for hiring teachers through the National Qualification Test. University graduates must be certified before they can enter the workforce.

As research shows, the quality of education is also affected by the relationship between school and parents.

"We organize it in a new format. Now the parental meetings will be held in a modern and efficient format," Aimagambetov noted.   

It is necessary to note that the capital repair is being undertaken in 261 schools. By September 1 it is planned to complete repair in 213 schools. However there are risks of failure of terms of capital repair in 12 regions, especially in West Kazakhstan region - 12 schools, Almaty - 5, Turkestan and Zhetysu - 4, Atyrau - 3. Approximately, the repair in these schools will last till the end of the year. In this regard, akimats, in order to organize education in 48 schools, must determine the locations of classes before the end of repair work, to create a safe and comfortable environment for children in schools.

At the same time, work on revaccination is actively carried out. 73% of school teachers and 70% of college teachers have been revaccinated. By September 1, the issue of revaccination must be resolved for the safety of teachers and students.

As of today, work on shipment and delivery of textbooks in the regions is 67% complete. 79% of textbooks have been delivered to the 2nd grades. Due to the increase in the contingent and migration, obsolescence of books, additional textbooks are purchased for grades 1, 3 - 11.

About 2 million copies of interesting fiction for children will be purchased for school libraries as part of the Reading School project. In the new academic year, work on familiarizing children with reading will continue.

As Aimagambetov informed, this year local akimats planned to build 225 schools. By the beginning of the school year it's supposed to finish work on opening of 41 state schools for 21 thousand places and 40 private schools for 15 thousand places. Each region is assigned with the specific indicators.

"Today in most regions there are three-shift and alarm schools. Especially in Almaty region 56 schools are three-shift schools, the number of three-shift schools is increasing from year to year. To solve this problem, akimats should take measures to timely commission schools before the new school year, as well as to complete construction of the remaining schools by the end of the year", Aimagambetov said.  

More than 25,000 children need transportation to school. The pickup fleet includes 1,066 vehicles. But 59% of them are outdated and do not meet the technical requirements. In this connection, within the framework of the republican project this year akimats bought in leasing 515 school buses. As a result of this work the voiced problem finds a significant solution.

The total number of children from socially vulnerable families attending school is 475 thousand. In accordance with the legislation, they are assisted in buying clothes and school supplies from the general education fund. However, in West Kazakhstan and other regions the amount of funds allocated to provide material assistance to children remains below the approved norm.

"This year we made two new changes in that direction. First. This year the financial aid will go to the parents' account. Now parents can buy school uniforms and stationery on their own. Previously, the purchase was conducted by the akimat. Parents, in turn, had many complaints about the size and quality of clothing. Second. If previously the funds allocated for one child in each region ranged from 17 thousand to 40 thousand, this year the amount should not be less than the subsistence minimum, which is 37,389 tenge. However, according to available information, 6 regions allocate insufficient funds for the purchase of school uniforms and stationery for children. We ask akimats to resolve this issue by the end of the week",  Aimagambetov said. 

In the new school year, the requirements for school uniforms have not changed. That is, students can use the uniforms they wore before or bought in advance.

"In this regard, we ask the akimats to carry out a comprehensive work on the availability of school uniforms and stationery with the allocation of the necessary funds," the head of the department said.  

Almost 900,000 children will be provided with free one-time meals in the new school year. In 7 regions, pupils of grades 1-4 are provided with free hot meals. In Akmola and Mangystau regions, all 1st grade students are provided with free hot meals. Since the new school year, students in grades 1-4 in Almaty are provided with budget hot meals.

At the expense of the Kazakhstan Halqina fund, 350,000 low-achieving children living in low-income families will receive additional education as part of the Digital Teacher project.

For children with disabilities with hearing, vision, speech and mental development disorders the purchase of special equipment in 98 special boarding schools is provided.

As part of the Road to School charitable campaign, various organizations, businesses and active citizens help to prepare about 500,000 children for school.

For today 489 thousand students study in 770 colleges of the country. As part of implementation of the instructions of the President on 100% coverage of free technical and vocational education the state order was increased by 45,000 places at the expense of the national budget to a record 128,000 places. This year the admission quota for certain categories was increased to 50%.

"We granted academic autonomy to colleges in order to improve the quality of training. Colleges together with employers have updated more than 4 thousand educational programs. Six dormitories for 2 thousand places in Turkestan, Atyrau and Aktobe regions were commissioned. 165 state colleges carried out major repairs," Aimagambetov informed.  

The annual August Conference of Teachers is currently held across the country. As part of the conference, more than 5,000 educational leaders and half a million representatives of the teaching community take part in a dialogue to analyze the results of the last school year and set goals for the new school year. The Ministry, together with local executive bodies, will conduct preparations for the new school year on a systematic basis.

The Minister of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Sayasat Nurbek, made a report on the readiness of higher educational institutions for the coming academic year.

So, the minister said that at the moment in the republic there are 120 universities. The number of teaching staff - 36 378 people. In 2022-2023 academic year expected number of students is 609.5 thousand people.

"The enrollment has increased by 5% compared to the last school year. As we can see there is a tendency of annual increase in the contingent. By 2030 the growth of the contingent is expected more than 30%", the Minister said during the session.

According to the Minister of Higher Education, the state order for the academic year 2022-2023 was 88,214 places, with 73,061 undergraduate places, 13,263 graduate places, and 1,890 doctoral places, of which 42,303 grants or 60% are allocated to technical fields.

"On the instructions of the President of the Republic K.K. Tokayev 10 thousand grants were allocated for the youth of the western and densely populated regions. 3,653 grants were allocated for the Serpin project. A total of 490 grants were awarded to foreign nationals, including 150 to citizens of Central Asian countries. According to the decision of the Republican Competition Commission, 56,375 grants were awarded. In addition, beginning with the new academic year the size of the grants at the undergraduate level will be increased by 20%. Doctoral students will receive up to 195 thousand tenge. This norm will affect up to 161 thousand students," Sayasat Nurbek said.

The Ministry is working on readiness for the beginning of the new academic year. 

 First, changes have been made to the State Compulsory Standard of Higher Education, providing for further expansion of academic freedom of higher education institutions.

In particular, universities are given the opportunity to independently determine the content of the cycle of general disciplines, taking into account the specifics of the training areas. Strict regulation of the number of credits for the blocks of basic and major disciplines has been eliminated.

Also, universities can attract practitioners and top managers to supervise diploma and research papers of undergraduate and graduate students.

Second, it is actualization of the content of educational programs. Today universities have developed innovative educational programs to form the skills demanded by the labor market. Their number has doubled. Thus, 63% of educational programs are updated in accordance with professional standards and the Atlas of new professions.

Third, in order to provide the labor market with practitioners at the level of higher education and their mobile training the applied baccalaureate is introduced. Since September this year, new programs will be launched in pilot mode on the basis of 8 higher education institutions.

Also on the basis of 4 higher educational institutions in a pilot mode it is planned to introduce a new model of estimation of the students taking into account social and research activity of students is an integral GPA.

Fourth, universities finish the work on ensuring readiness to the academic process. This is educational and methodological support of educational programs, approval of the schedule, determination of teaching load, ensuring professional development of the teaching staff, etc..

"I would also like to note that on 24-25 August 2022 Nur-Sultan will host the Forum of Science and Higher Education "Human capital - key resource of development of new Kazakhstan" where key trends of modern education will be discussed and directions of development of higher education system and science in accordance with new challenges will be defined. Foresight sessions and a number of seminars will be organized in the framework of the Forum," the Minister said.

In order to qualitatively prepare for the opening of the new academic year a meeting was held with the rectors of universities, which resulted in a number of instructions were given to the Ministry of Higher Education.

At the same time, according to Nurbek, currently to the new academic year in 104 universities of the country conducted renovation of administrative and academic buildings, dormitories, libraries, gyms, canteens, as well as repair heating systems.

Capital repairs of administrative and educational buildings have been conducted in 14 higher educational establishments, dormitories in 10 higher educational establishments, libraries in 8 higher educational establishments, and dining halls in 4 higher educational establishments.

Operating repairs of administrative and educational buildings are conducted in 71 higher educational institutions, dormitories in 64 higher educational institutions, libraries in 54 higher educational institutions, dining rooms in 51 higher educational institutions.

Institutions of higher education were instructed to have their buildings and dormitories completely ready for the new academic year, including compliance with the requirements of sanitary and epidemiological conditions.

"The Ministry has carried out work to update data on the need for places in dormitories. To date, 100% provision of places in hostels is observed in 28 universities. According to the forecast data, in the new academic year the number of students in need of dormitories will be more than 89 thousand people. In this case, the greatest need will be high in the cities of Almaty and Nur-Sultan," the Head of the Department said.

There is a shortage, as well as higher ticket prices for rail transport and air travel and a worsening epidemiological situation.

"This is a complex issue and for its solution we ask representatives of the Ministry of Education and Science to work out the regulation of prices for accommodation in hotels and hostels for students of universities. The Ministry of Industry and Infrastructural Development together with Kazakhstan Temir Zholy JSC will work out the issue on inclusion of additional flights for transportation of passengers by railway and air transport and regulation of prices for tickets," the head of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Kazakhstan noted.

The minister stressed that local executive bodies and rectors of higher educational institutions should develop an algorithm of actions in case of an outbreak of Covid-19 and take prompt action in case the situation worsens in the region concerned.

"In conclusion I would like to note that in preparation for the academic year a number of meetings with the rectors of universities were held and orders were given to take measures to provide places in dormitories and other alternative measures such as rental housing, hostels, etc. Work in this direction by the Ministry will continue," the Minister of Science and Higher Education Sayasat Nurbek summarized.

In turn, the Minister of Internal Affairs, Marat Akhmetzhanov, said that the department, together with concerned government agencies, are taking measures to ensure the safety of minors in educational facilities.

On the eve of the new school year from August 22 to September 12 of this year it is planned to carry out operational and preventive measures aimed at reducing children's injuries on the roads.

"Surveys will be carried out in all regions of the country for the presence of road signs, markings and serviceability of traffic lights in places where children's educational institutions are located. Also, inspection will cover schools with buses for compliance with the license for the right to transport passengers. With the beginning of the school process the routes of police patrols will be as close as possible to the educational organizations", Akhmetzhanov informed.  

In addition, together with the Ministry of Emergency Situations, the practice of organizing training sessions with students and staff of schools for actions in case of emergencies of man-made and natural nature (fires, earthquakes, floods, terrorist attacks, attacks, seizures, etc.) was introduced.

In addition, this year the heads of the Ministry of Internal Affairs will organize field exercises in schools on the basics of safe behavior. 

At the same time, the Ministry has taken an active part in the development of the Ministry of Education:

  • Roadmap for student safety;
  • The list of items prohibited to bring into educational organizations - weapons, knives, brass knuckles, blades, simulators of explosive devices, aerosol paints, pyrotechnics and gas canisters;
  • Instructions on anti-terrorist protection of educational facilities.

To date, according to the Ministry of Education, all schools in the country are 100% equipped with video surveillance systems.

At the same time, surveys have revealed that they do not meet the approved standards:

  • short period of data storage (less than 30 days);
  • absence of uninterruptible and backup power sources;
  • presence of "blind spots", as well as malfunctions.

In addition, work is underway to integrate these systems with the Operational Control Center.

To date, 46% of video surveillance cameras are connected to them.

For example, only 20% of available video cameras are connected to the Operational Control Center in Karaganda region. Similarly, in West Kazakhstan, Akmola, Aktobe, Pavlodar, Zhambyl and Almaty regions this figure does not reach 30%.

In addition, according to the requirements of the Instruction all schools must be equipped with pass systems (turnstiles). However today in Turkestan city it is installed only in one of 34 schools, in Uralsk city - 8 out of 56 (14%), in Almaty city - 28 out of 207 (14%).

"Last year, at the initiative of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the requirements for security organizations were significantly tightened. Thus, it was introduced the mandatory availability of radio, at least two mobile groups of rapid response, as well as service firearms. However, not a single school in Kostanay, Rudny and Petropavlovsk is provided with licensed security. In Turkestan there is only one school under protection", the Minister of Internal Affairs informed.  

In order to effectively protect the rights of children, it is proposed to instruct the Ministry of Education together with local executive bodies to take measures to:

1) to complete the work on equipping schools with appropriate security systems (panic buttons, turnstiles, video surveillance and security, as well as to eliminate existing shortcomings);

2) taking the existing video surveillance systems of educational organizations to the Operational Control Centers of the Ministry of Internal Affairs;

3) introduction of a course on the study of traffic rules into the educational program.

In the Abay region, as reported by the Akim Nurlan Urankhayev, 4 new schools for 1,700 pupils are being commissioned by the beginning of the school year. There are no alarming and three-shift schools.

"Capital and current repairs are carried out in 70 educational organizations to the amount of 1.3 billion tg. The work is planned to be completed before the start of the school year," Urankhayev said.

The readiness of educational facilities for the heating season, according to him, is 97%. Coal is delivered to 80% in the amount of 53,031 tons.

This year 62 classrooms of new modifications for 457 mln tenge were bought within the framework on Quality Education "Educated Nation" project.

As it is known, special attention should be paid to safety of children. In this direction, according to the akim, to ensure a safe environment, video surveillance systems and panic buttons were installed in all educational institutions.

As for textbooks, the provision will be 100% by the beginning of the school year, the akim assured.

"The general education fund for the support of 20,811 children from socially vulnerable families provided 1.9 billion tg. Also, 3,137 students from 156 settlements, which do not have a school, were provided with transportation," Urankhayev said.

For Covid-19 diseases, according to the akim, 85% of teachers have been revaccinated, the work will be completed by August 25.

For pre-school children, 157 kindergartens and 202 mini-centers are ready to receive 25,305 children. Coverage of children from 2-6 years old is 89.9% and from 3-6 years old is 100%.

Also, 40 colleges with a total of 20,000 students have undergone current repairs. Five colleges have purchased 26 newly modified classrooms. Provision of students with dormitory is 100%. For the current year 4,534 grants have been allocated for the system of technical and vocational education. As for higher education, there are three universities in the region with a total contingent of 17,9 thousand students. Their provision with dormitories is 77%.

“The issue of readiness for the school year is under control,”  Urankhayev assured.

As the akim of Zhetysu region Isabayev reported, in the new school year the expected number of students will be about 130 thousand children, which is 3 thousand more than last year. The region's colleges are planned to admit more than 4 thousand students.

According to the head of the region, 9 educational facilities are being overhauled. Two schools, a college and a kindergarten will be repaired by September 1, and four more schools and colleges will be repaired by the end of the year.

Besides, this year 17 new objects of education are being built for the total sum of 16 billion tenge. By the end of the year 10 schools, a summer camp and a hostel of a music college will be commissioned for 1,410 places. Five more objects will be completed in 2023.

Also by the end of this year 58 schools will be modernized and 90 subject classrooms will be purchased. Video surveillance systems will be updated in 208 schools, the funds have already been allocated.

Textbooks and teaching materials are purchased, the material and technical base is updated. Provision of educational institutions with Internet access is 85%.

The heating system, according to the akim, is also ready for the beginning of the school year. Educational institutions are supplied with liquid and solid fuel.

In addition, according to the akim, about 500 million tenge is allocated for the purchase of school uniforms and stationery for 14 thousand children from low-income families.

Education employees in the region will receive their salaries on time and in full.

"The education sector of the region is fully prepared for the beginning of the school year," Isabayev assured.

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