AI, New Programs, and Quality Standards Being Introduced in Kazakhstan’s Schools
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At a Government session, Minister of Education Gani Beisembaev reported on the implementation of measures under the Head of State’s instructions to further improve the quality of education, enhance and develop the sphere of secondary education, preschool upbringing, and ensure the safety of children, primeminister.kz reports.
The Minister noted that since June of this year, all regional administrations (akimats) have been actively preparing for the new academic year.
The main goal is to ensure that in September, students return to comfortable, bright, and renovated educational organizations that meet modern standards," Gani Beisembaev said.
The Minister also reported that, by order of the Head of State, since 2024 Kazakhstan has been gradually introducing a voucher financing system for preschool organizations. This mechanism improves the accessibility and quality of services and ensures transparency in the sector. Today, the project operates in 20 cities and 7 districts of the country.
During the pilot project’s implementation, 461,000 vouchers were issued, and the waiting list for kindergartens was reduced by 93,000 places. As a result, more than 7.7 billion tenge of budget funds were saved. This experience is planned to be gradually introduced in all kindergartens from September until the end of this year.
It was noted that from the new academic year, the program for early immersion of children in the study of the state language Tilge boilau and the project Beske deying ülger, previously piloted in 5 regions of the country, will be scaled up. Over this time, more than 7,000 children in 135 kindergartens mastered the state language, and over 37,000 parents received consultative assistance.
One of the priority areas of educational work in preschool organizations is introducing children to work from an early age. For this purpose, starting in September, a new pilot project will be launched in 100 kindergartens, covering 12,000 children," Gani Beisembaev said.
According to the ministry, there are currently more than 8,000 schools operating in the country. On September 1, 4.1 million students will begin classes, including 341,000 first graders and 232,000 graduates of 11th grade. From the new academic year, AI elements will be gradually introduced into the educational process. In particular, in the 2025-2026 academic year, AI integration will begin with the subjects "Digital Literacy" and "Informatics." Ethical standards for the use of artificial intelligence in the secondary education system have already been approved. Online Day of AI courses have been prepared for students, and three-level professional development courses for teachers.
The Minister also addressed the management of Keleshek mektepteri ("Schools of the Future"). Starting from the new academic year, as instructed by the Head of State, the Keleshek mektepteri management model will be launched. A new management standard has been adopted, accreditation standards have been developed, and more than 3,000 teachers who completed three-level training courses will begin their new work this academic year. Kazakhstan also continues to systematically modernize and expand school infrastructure under the President’s instructions. Currently, 232 schools with 267,000 places are under construction in the regions.
According to the information provided, by the start of the 2025-2026 academic year, 83 new schools with 115,000 student places are planned to be commissioned. By the end of the year, the construction of another 111 schools for 140,000 places will be completed.
Along with school construction, a large-scale school renovation program is being implemented, covering 245 schools with 190,000 students this year, including 145 in rural areas. By the beginning of the new academic year, work will be completed in 127 schools with 99,000 students. In 2025, modernization of 1,000 rural schools with more than 69,000 students is planned. To date, the plan has been fulfilled in 733 schools, or 73.3%.
In addition, this year it is planned to purchase about 1,100 subject-specific classrooms for 680 schools. At present, 853 schools have acquired a subject classroom, meaning the plan has been fulfilled by 77.5%. In the field of supplementary education, starting in August of this year, a pilot project for introducing a Unified State Order will be launched, aimed at ensuring transparency and increasing the efficiency of financing in this area. The pilot will be implemented in the format of voucher financing in the cities of Astana, Aktobe, Atyrau, Karaganda, Kyzylorda, and Shymkent.
A joint order of four ministries has been adopted, preparatory work has been carried out in the regions connected to the pilot projects. Based on the results of the pilot, in 2026 this mechanism is planned to be scaled to other regions.
For the expansion of the unified upbringing program Adal azamat ("Honest Citizen"):
- Parent committees will be transformed to develop interaction between the parent community and educational organizations.
- The program will be implemented in all private schools in the country.
- A unified school design code, developed based on the program’s values, will be gradually implemented.
To instill the principle of "Law and Order" in the younger generation, initiated by the Head of State, the pilot project Law and Order will be implemented from September of this year among schoolchildren in the Almaty region.
The Minister of Education also spoke about the implementation of a set of measures aimed at protecting the rights and ensuring the safety of children. Starting in September, anti-bullying programs Kiva and DosbolLIKE, which were successfully piloted last year and showed results, will be introduced in educational organizations. Currently, together with relevant agencies, a unified program Children of Kazakhstan is being prepared, covering seven key areas. It will become the basic document for the comprehensive protection of children’s rights. All educational organizations with more than 100 people must be fully equipped with security systems. The Minister called on akimats to speed up the installation of equipment and ensure its uninterrupted operation.
Taking into account the new requirements, today 98% of educational organizations have turnstiles installed, 97% have contracts with licensed security services, 96% are equipped with panic buttons, and 81% are connected to police operational control centers," Gani Beisembaev clarified.
The Minister also stressed that, as part of the Head of State’s instructions, special attention is being paid this year to the development of vocational specialties. All students choosing these fields will study at colleges free of charge. Under the state order, 150,000 students are planned to be admitted to colleges, with 70% of places allocated to technical fields. More and more young people are enrolling through targeted applications from enterprises with guaranteed employment. Over the past three years, their number has tripled to 30,000, and by the end of the year this figure is expected to reach 45,000.
The technical and vocational education system is undergoing transformation. At the legislative level, the possibility of online learning in colleges has been secured, already applied in IT training. Alongside schools, AI technologies will also be introduced into the college system. Furthermore, in the new academic year, the internationalization of five domestic colleges is planned.
Special attention is being paid to strengthening partnerships between colleges and employers. The practice of dual training is expanding, and the number of enterprises providing mentorship to colleges has increased sevenfold over the year, reaching 4,000. Together with businesses, 10,000 educational programs have already been developed. In the new academic year, 1,500 teachers will undertake internships and enhance their qualifications at enterprises," Gani Beisembaev concluded.
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Kazakhstan, S. Korea partner to develop Alatau Smart City project
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Kazakh Deputy Prime Minister Kanat Bozumbayev on Thursday met with Kim Bok-hwan, President and CEO of the Korea Overseas Infrastructure and Urban Development Corporation (KIND), Qazinform News Agency reports via the Kazakh Government.
The meeting in Kazakh capital Astana was a follow-up to the October negotiations at the Alatau Rise with Kazakhstan roadshow in Seoul, where Kazakhstan represented its smart city Alatau as one of its strategic projects.
Many Korean companies showed their support for our promising project Alatau Smart City, which is encouraging. KIND could participate in infrastructure construction projects, including in energy, water supply, water treatment, wastewater treatment and disposal, waste recycling – based on both an EPC contract or the format of development, said Bozumbayev.
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Chinese Company Explores Participation in Kazakhstan’s Power Infrastructure Modernization Program
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Alibek Kuantyrov, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan, and Madiyar Sultanbek, Deputy Chairman of the Management Board of NC "Kazakh Invest" JSC, held a meeting with Li Jianjiang, General Manager of Zhongyoung Power (Yunxi) Group Co., Ltd. The company expressed interest in participating as an investor in the modernization of Kazakhstan’s power infrastructure, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan reports.
The Chinese side voiced interest in participating in the National Project "Modernization of the Energy and Utilities Sectors," which identifies a broad range of facilities requiring renovation, upgrades, and modernization. Li Jianjiang emphasized that Zhongyoung Power is ready to consider various investment participation formats, including public-private partnership (PPP) mechanisms and tariff-based investment recovery models, in line with international infrastructure financing practices. He also noted the company’s intention to utilize locally produced equipment and transformers manufactured in Kazakhstan in implementing its projects.
The parties discussed potential involvement of the company in modernizing substations, replacing outdated equipment, constructing new transformer capacities, and introducing advanced solutions for medium- and high-voltage networks.
During the meeting, Alibek Kuantyrov underlined that modernization of the energy sector is a strategic priority for Kazakhstan and requires engagement of reliable technology partners with global expertise. He noted that PPP and tariff-based mechanisms can be applied under the current legal framework, provided they meet sectoral standards. The Deputy Minister also proposed that the company localize part of its equipment production in Kazakhstan, emphasizing opportunities for cooperation with local enterprises in implementing long-term energy projects.
In turn, Madiyar Sultanbek briefed the partners on state support instruments and opportunities for participation in national and regional power grid modernization programs. He highlighted Kazakhstan’s readiness to consider proposals aimed at improving energy reliability, efficiency, and the adoption of modern technologies.
The parties agreed to continue in-depth discussions on potential cooperation formats, including localization assessments and project technical parameters. As part of the follow-up work, a separate meeting was organized for the Chinese delegation with the Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Kazakhstan to discuss sectoral requirements, infrastructure needs, and potential areas of partnership in the energy sector.
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Zhanassova named Deputy Head of the President’s Executive Office
Images | Akorda
Assel Zhanassova has been appointed Deputy Head of the President’s Executive Office, Qazinform News Agency learned from the Akorda press service.
By the President’s decree, Assel Zhanassova has been appointed Deputy Head of the President’s Executive Office. She has been relieved of her previous position," a statement reads.
Assel Zhanassova was born on July 8, 1987, in Almaty. In 2010, she graduated from the University of Cambridge under the international scholarship of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan "Bolashak" in the field of computer science, and in 2014 she completed her master’s studies at the University of Cambridge and Lomonosov Moscow State University under the "Executive Management" program. Since June 8, 2025 - Advisor to the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
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Kazakhstan to suspend creation of new info systems by government agencies outside QazTech platform
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Head of State Kassym-Jomart Tokayev on Wednesday issued an order regarding some digitalization matters in Kazakhstan, Qazinform News Agency reports via Akorda.
The order introduces a moratorium on creation of new information systems by government agencies and quasi-sector subjects outside the QazTech information-communication platform of e-government starting January 1, 2026.
In case the creation of information system on the QazTech platform faces technical faults, the Government must ensure every individual case is submitted for review by the President’s Commission on digitalization implementation, reads the order.
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Volume of transit cargo reached 29.4 million tons - Ministry of Transport
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Minister of Transport of the Republic of Kazakhstan Nurlan Sauranbayev reported at the Government session on the ongoing work to develop the country’s transport and logistics potential, primeminister.kz reports.
He noted that as of today, the transport sector has become one of the drivers of economic growth. Over the first 10 months of the current year, there has been positive dynamics in key indicators. The volume of transport services increased by 20.7%. Investments in fixed capital rose by 18.4%. The volume of transit cargo reached 29.4 million tons, with a growth rate of 5%.
It was noted that construction and repair works this year covered 13,000 km of highways. 93% of national roads are in standard technical condition.
Work is underway to modernize checkpoints on the internal border. By the end of 2027, it is planned to complete 37 checkpoints.
The main factor ensuring the efficiency of highways is digital solutions. Following the instruction of the Head of State, digital road passports are being developed within the e-Joldar framework. This will allow the future implementation of unmanned vehicles," Nurlan Sauranbayev emphasized.
The Minister added that annual road diagnostics are carried out using artificial intelligence technologies.
The installation of automated measurement stations (up to 220 units) continues to preserve road quality. To reduce the burden on the budget, toll sections are being gradually introduced on national roads. On toll roads, the KazToll system has enabled collections amounting to 79 billion tenge.
According to the ministry, the volume of freight transport by road reached 288 million tons, an increase of 1.7% compared to the previous reporting period.
Automated measurement stations increased the detection of violations and budget revenues tenfold.
As a result of integration with the General Prosecutor’s Office, more than 10,000 orders for mandatory fine payments were issued in the first five months of this year.
Cargo transportation by road is carried out with 42 countries. Last year, with China and Uzbekistan, foreign paper permit forms were converted into electronic format.
Also, based on the results of the first 10 months of this year, 13.1 million passengers were transported by air, which is 6.5% more than in the same period last year. The main digital tool for transporting air freight is the e-Freight system. Today, all airports and airlines in the country use the system. This complies with the international IATA standard.
Currently, government agencies are working on integration for import and export customs declarations, phytosanitary and veterinary control. This work enables full automation of business processes.
The Minister of Transport also reported that freight transportation by rail continues to grow. The volume of rail freight over the first 10 months of this year amounted to 380.3 million tons, with a growth rate of 7.9% compared to the same period last year.
Digitalization initiatives in the sector, such as the Digital Trade Corridor, are aimed at increasing transit cargo flows. Electronic declaration and the provision of services through the "Single Window" help eliminate barriers and enhance the confidence of international carriers.
At the moment, there are more than 250 information systems in the railway sector. An important aspect for the sector is the implementation of digital transformation and the formation of a target IT architecture considering international experience," Nurlan Sauranbayev emphasized.
In accordance with the instruction of the Head of State, the Smart Cargo platform was launched in October of this year. The platform integrates services of government agencies. Integration with 30 government services has been completed. As part of the platform’s development, integration with 47 additional services from the public and private sectors is planned.
Today, it is possible to track the location of cargo, and AI-based assistants have been created. Additional state services can be obtained. Work continues on implementing the "Green Corridor," which will provide automatic issuance of a transit declaration for crossing the border.
The results of digital transformation in the sector are expected to increase highway capacity by 20%. Processing times at road checkpoints will be around 10 minutes. The introduction of artificial intelligence technology will reduce the time required to create and plan trains sixfold, and reduce cargo processing times at airports to one hour.
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