The primary and secondary education system in Kazakhstan has accomplished
significant achievements. It has managed to reach almost universal access to primary and
secondary education, and few differences are observed in enrolment by geographical
location, socio-economic background and gender. Although the level of education
attainment of the population is high, the performance of Kazakh 15 year-olds in PISA
(Programme for International Student Assessment) 2012 suggests that there is
considerable room to improve the quality of student learning outcomes. In mathematics,
Kazakh students are on average two years behind their peers in OECD countries and
about 45% of them are low performers, a proportion significantly above the OECD
average (23%). The language of instruction in schools, school location, and the socioeconomic
background of students and schools make a difference in student performance.
National and international assessments also suggest marked differences in educational
outcomes between urban and rural areas.
Kazakhstan has embarked on profound reforms to improve the quality of the
education system and is increasingly looking to international standards and best practices.
Reform initiatives include the expansion of the pre-primary education network, the
development of new mechanisms of school financing (including a new per capita funding
scheme), the creation of resource centres to support small-class schools, further
investment in school infrastructure and a wider use of information technologies in
schools. In this context of reforms, while there is an apparent desire to increase resources
devoted to education and awareness that spending per student remains markedly lower
than the OECD average and that of other neighbouring countries, there remains an
official reluctance to expand public expenditure on education which is linked to concerns
about both the sector’s efficiency and its absorptive capacity. This report analyses the
effectiveness of the Kazakh school system and identifies policy areas with potential
efficiency gains or requiring further public investment. The following policy priorities
were identified to improve the effectiveness of resource use in the Kazakh school system.