Kazakhstan is steadily advancing toward establishing a modern educational system that incorporates the principles of sustainable development, prioritizes health and well-being, and fosters the global competencies among school students. Central to this transformation is the strategic integration of digital technologies, which are reshaping the educational landscape, creating an innovative, interactive learning environment.
To gain a deeper insight into these ongoing changes, we consulted leading education experts: Meirgul Alpysbaeva, National Education Program Specialist at the UNESCO Regional Office in Almaty; Almagul Mukhamedkhanova, Chief Researcher at the Center for Continuing Professional Development of Teachers and Advisor to the President of the Y. Altynsarin National Academy of Education; and Aigul Rakizhanova, trainer and specialist in methodologies for developing healthy lifestyle competencies.
Collaboration Between UNESCO and the National Academy of Education: Long-Term Experience and Strategic Priorities
Meirgul Alpysbaeva began the conversation by highlighting the long-standing and productive collaboration between the UNESCO Institute for Information Technologies in Education, the UNESCO Regional Office in Almaty, and the Y. Altynsarin National Academy of Education. She emphasized, “This partnership holds strategic significance for the development of Kazakhstan’s education system and facilitates the country’s integration into the global educational community.”
This collaboration centers on three priority areas: education for sustainable development (ESD), education for health and well-being, and digital transformation of education. Education for sustainable development extends beyond merely studying environmental and social issues. It cultivates a profound understanding of global challenges, develops essential 21st-century skills and competencies, and inspires a sense of responsibility for the future of our planet. Health and well-being education aims to promote a culture of healthy living, encompassing physical, reproductive, and mental health. Meanwhile, the digital transformation of education involves active use of modern technology to enhance the effectiveness of the educational process and to develop digital competencies in both students and teachers.
“We believe that these three areas form the foundation for delivering quality education and building a sustainable, prosperous, and harmonious society,” concluded Meirgul Alpysbaeva.
Global Competencies: Developing Key Skills for the 21st Century
Almagul Mukhamedkhanova shared the past year’s achievements, highlighting significant progress in the implementation of the Global Competencies course in schools across Kazakhstan. She noted, “This is not just a training course, but a program for students’ personal development and growth. This program encompasses aesthetic, moral, and environmental education, and promotes responsible citizenship. Although this may sound too serious for younger students, it actually addresses the child’s role in society, in the classroom, and among peers. When children recognize the practical value of this learning, the course becomes engaging for them.”
“Who, if not the school and the adults, such as teachers, mentors and family, can provide children with the essential knowledge and educate them about what is going on around them? Especially considering that the personalities of today’s children are developing in a complex and rapidly changing world,” she added.
The program is offered in grades 5-11 and teaches children not only to think critically, analyze information, and make informed decisions, but also to communicate effectively, resolve conflicts, and resist violence and bullying. An important aspect of the course is its focus on the health and well-being of students. Teenagers learn to take care of themselves, prioritize their own and others’ health, take responsibility for their actions, and strive for positive change in the world.
Almagul Mukhamedkhanova also emphasized the positive impact of parental involvement: “After studying the course and acquiring new knowledge, students share it with their parents, thereby educating them as well. The benefits are that, first, parents can see that their child is receiving valuable and important information while learning essential life skills. Second, the child educates their parents about topics that may not have been part of the curriculum when the parents attended school or part of their life experience.”
This approach not only strengthens family bonds but also creates a supportive environment at home for absorbing new knowledge and fostering a responsible attitude toward health and well-being. This confirms the effectiveness of the program and its positive impact on all stakeholders—children, parents, and teachers.
Digital Resources and Methodological Guidance for Teachers
To facilitate effective delivery of the course, video materials and methodological guides were developed with support from UNESCO. These resources are designed to help teachers integrate new knowledge and skills into the educational process. The methodological guide titled Using Video Materials for Health Classes for Students in Grades 5-11 of Secondary Schools provides ready-made lesson scripts, making it easier for teachers to deliver these classes.
“It is crucial for teachers to be well-prepared. The success of the entire course depends on the teacher’s ability to present the material effectively and engage students in discussion. If the teacher simply lectures and shares their own perspective, students may lose interest. Therefore, this course is recommended to be delivered in an interactive format. This means that there should be dialogues, conversations, role-playing, games, and other interactive forms of classroom learning. The quality of teacher training is essential for achieving the set goals,” said Almagul Mukhamedkhanova.
Extensive teacher training was conducted to support the adoption of the new teaching methods and resources. “In the spring and autumn of 2024, we conducted a series of seminars for teachers in Astana, Almaty, Shymkent, Semey, Uralsk, and other cities,” Almagul added. The seminars were attended by representatives from city and regional methodological offices, who subsequently shared their knowledge with colleagues. The seminars featured screenings of the video lessons, discussions of the methodological guides, and question-and-answer sessions for attending teachers.
“The overall involvement of schools and teachers is impressive, and we are seeing a great deal of interest in the new programs,” according to Almagul. “We receive a lot of feedback and suggestions for the development of the Global Competencies course. Specifically, there have been requests to include more topics related to helping children respond appropriately in dangerous situations, especially when dealing with bullying and violence. We carefully examine these requests, conduct research and monitoring, and gather and analyze feedback from teachers and students. Additionally, there are proposals to increase the number of hours allocated to this course to provide teachers with more time to practice the new skills with students. The Academy strives to consider all the feedback and suggestions for the program,” she added.
An important related event was DIGITAL KAZAKHSTAN: EDUCATION IN A NEW REALITY, a nationwide conference of educators, hosted by Nazarbayev University on 20 August 2024. Addressing the conference participants, Madina Tynybayeva, President of the Y. Altynsarin National Academy of Education, emphasized the importance of integrating the sustainable development component into the country’s education system. In her presentation at the conference, Almagul Mukhamedkhanova spoke about the successful integration of the Global Competencies course and the topic of healthy lifestyle in school practice, emphasizing their crucial role in the context of digital transformation of education. She highlighted the effectiveness of using the developed video lessons and guides, supporting the idea expressed by Minister of Education Gani Beisembayev: “Every school should become a positive educational environment where each student can unlock their potential and grow for the benefit of the country.”
Webinars on EduHub Platform: Building a Professional Community
October 2024 marked the launch of a series of webinars focusing on the new methodological guide, hosted by the EduHub international platform. Aigul Rakizhanova, a trainer and specialist in methodology for teaching healthy lifestyle competencies, describes these events: “The webinars, featuring the authors of the guide, Marina Kateeva and Dmitry Sizarev, have been truly effective. We see active participation from teachers who use the chat to share their experiences, and we also see the emergence of a professional community. This development is of major importance for successful integration of the new methodologies into practice and creation of a collaborative professional environment.”
Aigul also shared her observations concerning the challenges teachers faced in delivering the video lessons: “Some teachers resisted the new teaching methods, such as the use of video lessons on healthy lifestyle, preferring traditional approaches instead. Additionally, not all teachers had adequate training to handle complex topics such as relationships, emotions, and reproductive health. Their resistance was likely due to the habit of working in the old way, as well as certain aspects of our mentality. However, as trainers, we worked to prepare teachers for the potential challenges they might encounter when conducting such classes. We taught them to approach these topics with tact and confidence. As a result, teachers’ motivation and interest grew, leading to positive outcomes in the educational process.
Looking to the Future: Education for Sustainable Development
Concluding our conversation, Meirgul Alpysbaeva emphasized, “UNESCO’s collaboration with the National Academy of Education is a key factor in the development of quality education in Kazakhstan. We are confident that the introduction of ESD, the Global Competencies course, and programs promoting students’ health and well-being lay the foundation for building a sustainable future. Digital technologies enable us to make education more effective and accessible to all children in Kazakhstan, regardless of their location.”
An important aspect of building a modern education system is the creation of a comfortable and supportive learning environment. Aigul Rakizhanova highlights Kazakhstan’s achievements in this area: “We are now building schools in Kazakhstan according to the ‘Comfortable Schools’ standard. This includes creating a comfortable and safe learning environment with modern classrooms, ergonomic furniture, proper lighting, and access to necessary materials and resources. The requirements also include tighter security measures in schools through the installation of state-of-the-art technology and the provision of licensed security personnel who must meet stricter qualification standards. Schools are expected to provide a barrier-free environment for children with special educational needs and must be equipped with properly designed thematic classrooms.”
However, a comfortable learning environment extends beyond just the physical space. An atmosphere that fosters the unlocking of each student’s potential plays a crucial role. According to Aigul Rakizhanova, “Creating a positive educational environment is a key component of successful learning. By a favorable educational environment, I mean one that supports and stimulates educational activities and promotes students’ personal growth, creativity, independence, and social responsibility. I believe that creating a favorable educational environment amidst ongoing change requires not only a solid material and technical foundation but also adequate support for students’ emotional and mental well-being, along with the use of technology to enhance access to education and its quality. This is exactly what we strive for, with support from experts of the Investment to the Future Charitable Foundation.”
Creating an educational environment in schools that promotes each student’s personal development is the central objective of the Personality Potential Development Program at the Investment to the Future Charitable Foundation whose experts, for the second consecutive year, have been collaborating with partners in Kazakhstan as part of joint efforts with UNESCO to foster a culture of healthy and safe lifestyles among students, help them build life skills and global (universal) competencies, and enhance their overall personal potential.
“When the educational environment in a school becomes more creative, diverse, attuned to the needs and unique characteristics of all participants in the learning process, and fostering students’ social and emotional development, they tend to learn better, socialize more effectively, understand themselves and others, communicate with greater ease, and become more proactive, open to diversity, and capable of making informed decisions in uncertain situations, while demonstrating flexibility and resilience. Taken together, all of this helps develop their personal potential,” explains Ekaterina Khaustova, Program Manager of the Investment to the Future Charitable Foundation.
The development of education in Kazakhstan is focused on integrating the principles of sustainable development, promoting students’ health and well-being, and building their global competencies. Cooperation with international organizations such as UNESCO, adoption of digital technologies, and a focus on creating a favorable educational environment are key factors driving this transformation.
“Large-scale initiatives focused on supporting each student’s personal development demonstrate Kazakhstan’s commitment to building a modern and effective educational system prepared for future challenges and contributing to the country’s sustainable development. This comprehensive approach, which combines technological progress, advanced pedagogical practices, and a focus on student well-being, forms a solid foundation for educating citizens capable of making a significant contribution to the development of their country, society, and the world,” concluded Tigran Yepoyan, Health Education Advisor for Eastern Europe and Central Asia at UNESCO.