As Kazakhstan gained independence from Soviet Union, a major economic depression took place and as a result public financing for education deduced heavily. Public financing for education was dropped to 6% of Grass Domestic Product, and further dropped to 3% of Gross Domestic Product in 1991 before increased to 4% in 1999. Because of low education budget the teaching and educational support staff was also underpaid. Many left the job for better earning or migrated from the land for earning livelihood.
Kazakhstan's 1995 constitution provides arrangements for mandatory, socialized secondary school education. Since then private educational institutions are spreading wings in the country, about 5% students are enrolled in private schools, which remains largely under arbitrary state control.
In 2000, the Government of Kazakhstan joined the governments of the Kyrgyz Republic and Tajikistan, and His Highness the Aga Khan to establish the world’s first internationally chartered institution of higher education, the University of Central Asia (UCA). The UCA will have three campuses of equal size and stature in each of the founding countries. The Kazakh campus is in Tekeli in the Zhedysu region, 35 minutes east of the regional capital Taldy-Korgan, and three hours by car from Almaty. The UCA will benefit from the resources of the Aga Khan Development Network to offer an internationally recognized standard of higher education in Central Asia.
In the year 2003, the Asian Development Bank offerd technical assistance of $600 000 as grant to help educational development in Kazakhstan. In the year 2004, the United States offered Kazakhstan 137 Peace Crops Members to work in Education and NGO Development. The total male literacy rate in Kazakhstan is 99.1% and literacy rate for females is 97.7% as of 1999.
Education in Kazakhstan starts from Kindergarten. Children start attending Kindergarten schools at the age of 5. At present Kindergarten schools provide education to both Russian and Kazakh children.
Primary schools in Kazakhstan are state subsidized, Kazakh children start receiving primary education at the age of 6. The duration of primary schooling is 5 years. Primary education is provided free of cost and parents only have to pay for additional activities, like sports, games, and music programs etc.
The Ministry of Education of Kazakh government is responsible for administering primary and secondary education in Kazakhstan. The ministry defines the teaching curriculum for both primary and secondary classes. Students in Kazakhstan complete Lower Secondary School (8th Grade) by the year they attain age of 14 or 15. The Lower Secondary Schools in Kazakhstan are equivalent to middle school or JuniorHigh School of United States ofAmerica. Students are taught subjects like Russian literature, Kazakh language, history, physics, mathematics, biology, chemistry, etc as part of lower secondary education.
After completion of Lower Secondary Education students undergo for Higher Secondary School. Three types of education is available as part of Higher Secondary Education. Students are free to choose any one. All students after completion of Higher Secondary Education become eligible to apply for University education.
Following is given a simple flow chart that will help you in understanding education system in Kazakhstan-
Pre-higher education:
Duration of compulsory education:
Age of entry: 6
Age of exit: 15
Structure of school system:
Pre-Primary
Type of school providing this education: Kindergarten
Length of program in years: 1
Age level from: 5 to: 6
Primary
Type of school providing this education: Primary School
Length of program in years: 4
Age level from: 6 to: 10
Basic
Type of school providing this education: General School, Secondary School, Gymnasium
Length of program in years: 5
Age level from: 10 to: 15
General Secondary
Type of school providing this education: Secondary School, Lyceum, Gymnasium
Length of program in years: 2
Age level from: 15 to: 17
Certificate/diploma awarded: Atestat o Srednem Obrazovanii (Certificate of Complete Secondary Education)
Vocational
Type of school providing this education: Professional Lyceum, Vocational School
Length of program in years: 2
Age level from: 15 to: 17
Certificate/diploma awarded: Diplom o Srednem Spetsialnom Obrazovanii
Professional
Type of school providing this education: Professional College, Vocational School
Length of program in years: 4
Age level from: 15 to: 19
Certificate/diploma awarded: Diplom o Srednem Spetsialnom Obrazovanii
After successful completion of Secondary Education students become eligible to apply for University education.
