In 2019, unemployment among youths between the ages of 15 and 24 stood at just 3.7 percent, well below the average (12.4 percent) among Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) member states.2It was even lower for highly educated workers. Although most public schools and universities remained under tight government control, legislation issued shortly after independence introduced tuition fees at public universities. The QSI International School of Astana (QSIA) is an independent, coeducational day school which offers an educational program from prekindergarten through grade 12 for students of all nationalities. Subscribe to WENR, and discover other tools and publications. Multiple-shift schools must often shorten teaching hours, making it difficult for them to meet the minimum instructional hours set by MESRK. But over the past two years, this picture has changed dramatically. These small rural schools, known as small-class or ungraded schools, are often plagued by teacher shortages and decaying infrastructure. We had 5 years of full accreditation with CIS (Council of International Schools) and ACSI from 2017-2022. Galaxy International School Kazakhstan Co-educational, Day, Pre-Preparatory, Preparatory, Senior, Sixth Form. The basis for these reforms, as well as that of so much else in contemporary Kazakhstan, can ultimately be found in the turmoil of the countrys immediate post-independence social, political, and economic experience. The most significant change to the countrys quality assurance mechanisms in recent years has been its embrace of voluntary accreditation conducted by external accrediting bodies. Download a one-page calendar with key dates for the 2022-23 school year. Although conditions in the new millennium changed dramatically, the turmoil of these early years continue to shape the country to this day. Universities are granted far more autonomythey can determine up to 70 percent of the content of their masters degree programs. With its revenue falling, the government passed the Law on Higher Education in 1993, which for the first time legalized the establishment of private universities. At best, this is an experiment that carries substantial risks: it is an open question whether any excellence that the university may achieve can outweigh reduced funding for the rest of the system, and whether this excellence can be shared in a way that benefits the entire system of higher education.. More controversially, government officials have publicly encouraged Uzbek students enrolled abroad to return home, even going so far as to exempt returning students from national university entrance examinations. Still ongoing, the reforms stalled implementation illustrates the challenges faced by Kazakhstani policymakers in modernizing the countrys education system. Students hoping to enroll in higher education programs can also sit for the Unified National Test (UNT), discussed in more detail below. Under the 12-year system, lower secondary education will be extended by one year, lasting from grade 5 to grade 10. Since the first NIS opened in Astana in 2008, their numbers have grown steadily. But, as the length of that still-incomplete transition suggests, their success has been mixed. Adopted in 1997, this strategy prioritized reducing government interference in domestic and foreign trade, improving tax and tariff administration, revising corporate governance structures, encouraging foreign investment and international ties, and privatizing state-owned enterprises. The subjects taught under the 12-year system will differ little from those taught under the old system. Perhaps also driving the shuttering of institutions, which today are largely financed by student tuition fees, was declining demand for higher education. A plurality (44 percent) of these students are currently enrolled at the undergraduate level, with 35 percent registered in graduate programs, 8 percent in non-degree programs, and 13 percent in the Optional Practical Training (OPT) program. cities across the world. In recognition of English as the lingua franca of international business and trade, the policy set a goal of expanding the percentage of Kazakhstani citizens speaking English to 20 percent and the percentage speaking all three languages to 15 percent by 2020. The following year, although absolute enrollment numbers declined slightly, the pre-elementary GER rose to 74 percent. Kazakhstan also cooperates closely with Russia politically, militarily, and economically. 9. Spectrum International School delivers the highest standard of education in Kazakhstan for local and foreign citizens. Almaty, Kazakhstan: QSI International School of Almaty: 2022-2023 Fact Miras International School Astana is a K-12 international school in Astana, Kazakhstan . Schools and education for expats in Kazakhstan | Expat Arrivals Kazakhstans economic turnaround stemmed much of the bleeding, and enrollment levels remained more or less stable for the first decade of the twenty-first century. Two-year programs are usually more research intensive, requiring 55 credits (120 ECTS credits) and the writing and defense of a thesis. Read about the curricula, exams and tests commonly encountered at international schools, including the UK and US systems, International Baccalaureate and International Primary Curriculum. In 2001, MESRK announced its intention to extend the education cycle from 11 to 12 years to better align the countrys education system with international norms. Kazakhstan, Kuishi Dina Street 34, International College of Continuous Education, Almaty, International College of Continuous Education, Astana. Recently introduced medical qualifications, such as the Bachelor of Medicine (medcna bakalavri) and the Bachelor of Dentistry (Stomatologya bakalavri), still typically require five years of study. For decades, the government of the Soviet Union supported a unique system of international education and exchange, providing full funding to certain students from constituent republics to study at academic institutions in other Soviet republics, most often in the Russian Federation. In 2015/16, 30 more were added, among them, Nazarbayev Intellectual Schools (NIS). Education is compulsory from age seven to 15 and state schools, which teach in Kazakh or Russian, are free to citizens and residents. It has funded generous international scholarship programs, issued directives requiring institutions to establish international academic partnerships, and joined intergovernmental higher education initiatives, most notably, those associated with the Bologna Process. On Nov 4, 2022 we were awarded K-12 full Accreditation from ACSI and MSA/CESS until January 1, 2030. As a result, education quality in many of the countrys universities deteriorated sharply, while incidences of corruption and academic fraud rose rapidly. In 2015, 40 percent of urban Kazakhstanis between the age of 18 and 22 were enrolled in higher education, compared with just 14 percent of rural Kazakhstanis. Public school educationelementary and secondaryin Kazakhstan is compulsory and available free to all Kazakhstani citizens and has been since the adoption of Kazakhstans current constitution in 1995. In 2000, the Government of Kazakhstan joined the governments of the Kyrgyz Republic and Tajikistan, and the Aga Khan to establish the world's first internationally chartered institution of higher education, the University of Central Asia (UCA). MESRK continues to monitor academic institutions even after they receive their license to operate. It remains to be seen what impact Nazarbayevs resignation in 2019 will have on democratic processes. Much of that will be driven by education reforms. However, these merit scholarships have been criticized as an inefficient use of government resources. Its long-planned accessionKazakhstan signed the Lisbon Recognition Convention in 1999was accompanied by significant changes to the countrys higher education system, including the restructuring of its qualification and credit system, the introduction of external accreditation agencies, and a gradual expansion of institutional autonomy. Official representatives. We recently celebrated twenty years of success and growth as a community. 4, FIDE and the Kazakhstan Chess Federation invite all FIDE member federations and eligible players to participate in the World Schools Team Championship 2023 (WSTC). Kazakhstan International School Company Profile | Management and The OECD report also identified the countrys restrictive student visa policies as a deterrent to prospective international students. At the countrys universities, rigid teaching practices, a narrow focus on developing technical skills, and limited research capacity hampered quality. Since independence, the use of Kazakh in schools and universities has grown. Many rural young people are physically separated from the countrys universities by long distances, as most higher education institutions are located in urban centers. Kazakhstani higher education institutions offer full-time, part-time, evening, and remote study in three principal languages: Kazakh, Russian, and English. To accommodate rural conditions, MESRK grants mini-centers a high degree of flexibility, allowing them to shorten the school day or to operate from unconventional locations, such as community centers or private homes. Despite the two countries sharing many of the same challenges, Canadas experience differs sharply from that of the U.S. Still, although many Kazakhstani students are willing to cross the countrys borders to study, most stop immediately on the other side. Kazakhstans higher education system has changed dramatically since independence. Schools offer a range of international curricula from UK and US to the IB and in general, students are eager to learn as education is highly valued. It has approved four separate sets of curriculum guidelines for different age groups, each of which prescribes the subjects that must be taught and the materials, down to the books and toys, that can be used. Although numbers have since stabilized, policymakers expect university enrollment to decline or remain stagnant until 2025. The school opened its doors in 1999 and became the first international school in Kazakhstan authorized for all stages of the International Baccalaureate Programme (International Baccalaureate). Kazakhstani enrollments in the Western Hemisphere lag sharply behind those in the East. Since 2009, outbound mobility has more than doubled, peaking at 90,213 in 2016 before declining slightly over the past two years. It also altered funding and ownership regulations for public universities. Participation rates are high, with gross primary enrolment of 104 per cent and net secondary enrolment of 100 per cent in 2019. International organizations, such as the OECD, have also praised the Kazakhstani education system for its low repetition rates. Enrollment in POs reached nearly 900,000 in 2019, a twenty-first century high. Nur-Sultan 010000, Students who score high on the UNT are guaranteed a seat at a public university and may be issued government-funded merit scholarships. But the OECDs review found that the efficiency of this per capita funding scheme, while admirably intentioned, has been hampered by poorly calibrated funding levels, which have forced POs to charge parents to cover basic operational expenses. The rapid rise in the number of private higher education institutions was not accompanied by a similar increase in the funding for or rigor of oversight and quality assurance mechanisms. With the economy and public revenues collapsing, the government moved quickly to shift the responsibility for education funding from the public purse to private pockets, rushing through measures to privatize the ownership and financing of education. These included long specialist diplomas, lasting anywhere from four to five and a half years, after which students could enroll in advanced study programs such as the Kandidat Nauk, or Candidate of Sciences, which typically required an additional three years of study. In a syncopated series of advances and retreats, government officials have announced ambitious reforms, only to quickly walk them back. Kazakhstan. Over the past five years, Indian student enrollment has grown by 159 percent, rising from 1,716 in 2016 to 4,453 in 2020. We had 5 years of full accreditation with, since 2021. This site uses cookies from Google to deliver its services and to analyze traffic. Governance of the education system is similarly centralized. To be admitted to a second-cycle program, the diplom magistra or masters degree, students must possess a bakalavra. Almaty, Kazakhstan: Almaty International School: 2022-2023 Special Although the Soviet Union developed a solid network of institutions55 by independencedemand for university seats in the Kazakh SSR still far exceeded supply. EtonHouse Kazakhstan International School building 10, microdistrict 19, Aktau, 130000, Kazakhstan Tel + 7 7292 305 585, + 7 7292 305 587, +7 705 289 44 77 Fax Despite these changes, certain medical programs remain exceptions, requiring five or more years of study and leading to a specialist diploma. It accorded Russian less importance, granting it official status only in public institutions, where Russian was to be used on equal grounds with Kazakh. These post-secondary TVET programs typically last between two and three years. British International School Haileybury in Kazakhstan. Modern Private Instead, the demographic contraction of that first decade had a delayed impact on enrollment levels. School and university league tables. Others have criticized them for drawing a disproportionate share of overall government spending on education, funds that could be used more efficiently to improve the entire education system if spread more broadly. The government has also embarked on expansive reforms aimed at modernizing the quality and structure of the countrys education system, among the most important of which is the extension of school education from 11 to 12 years. Al-Farabi Avenue 118/15, Since the 2011/12 school year, at the end of grade 9, some basic secondary students have also had to sit for a standardized, national competency assessment, the External Assessments of Student Achievement (EASA),8administered at a sample of schools throughout the country. They began to take off around 2010, as the government turned its attention, and its growing tax receipts, toward ECE, focusing in particular on the year just before the start of elementary education. Despite decades of government efforts aimed at modernizing and internationalizing the education system, the imprint of its Soviet past remains prominent. Our classrooms feature the latest touchscreen technology in our state-of-the-art facility, including a spacious sports hall and a purpose-built auditorium seating up to 300. Currently, the largest accrediting bodies are both based in Kazakhstan: the Independent Agency for Quality Assurance in Education (IQAA) and the Independent Agency for Accreditation and Rating (IAAR). MESRK currently recognizes 11 accreditation bodies: six Kazakhstani agencies, which can accredit both institutions and individual academic programs; and five international agencies, which are approved to accredit specific programs only. 4, Nur-Sultan 010000, Kazakhstan Students from other Central Asian countries also make up the majority of all international students in Kazakhstan. With oil and related products accounting for nearly three-quarters of the value of Kazakhstans exports, rapid and disruptive swings have long plagued the countrys economy, as periodic demand shocks upend the global price of oil. Instruction is conducted in all three of the languages promoted in the governments trilingual policyKazakh, Russian, and Englishalthough upper secondary education is delivered entirely in English. In fact, few Kazakhstani international students remain overseas after graduation. KIS is a warm and welcoming community where everyone is valued, creating a family-like atmosphere with close partnerships between parents and the school. From 2005 to 2020, the number of universities in Kazakhstan declined by nearly a third, falling from more than 180 to 12533 public and 92 private, according to government statistics. We are glad you're interested to learn more about the application process for Kazakhstan International School. Given this decline, it seems unlikely that the disparities in learning outcomes revealed by the results of previous PISA tests were reversed. As a result, university enrollment has also declined, falling by more than 40 percent from its peak in 2005/06 to around 460,000 in 2015/16. Haileybury Almaty 112 Al-Farabi Avenue, Almaty 050040, Kazakhstan Co-educational, Day, Pre-Preparatory, Preparatory, Senior, Sixth Form. EtonHouse Kazakhstan International School Under the 11-year system, basic secondary education lasts for five years, spanning grades 5 to 9. Kazakhstan is a country in transition. Guided by the principles laid down in the Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education Area (ESG), the foundation for quality assurance throughout the EHEA, the SPED 2011-2020 called for the gradual transfer of quality assurance responsibilities from the MESRKs attestation process to a system of voluntary accreditation conducted by independent accreditation agencies. Download the Special Needs Profile (2023 Special Needs Profile- Kazakhstan, Astana [132 KB]) for this school to learn more about their capability to support students with exceptionalities. South-East (right side) m-n, The policy of WENR is not to favor any given source over another, but to be transparent about what we are reporting and to footnote numbers that may raise questions about discrepancies. Most children attend kindergartens, which are divided into nursery kindergartens, attended by children between the ages of one and three, and regular kindergartens, attended by children ages three to six. Our students and staff come from over 20 countries around the world, with roughly 40% of our students being expatriates. Kazakhstan Agi Language and Culture School Teach English at the Agi Language and Culture School In December 2018, KIS . Kazakhstan, Ivan Panfilov bldg. 8. In 2010, the lowest income quintile spent, on average, a shocking 45 percent of their household expenditure on ECE, which the report concludes likely accounts for the low enrollment ratios for that quintile, just 19 percent of whom attended ECE. Kazakhstan, alongside Belarus and Russia, was a founding member of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), an integrative alliance that seeks to promote the free movement of goods and services between a number of East European, Western Asian, and Central Asian countries. While it remains to be seen exactly what impact these changes will have on Kazakhstans inbound student numbers, early reports suggest that it could be severe.