Меню
Early childhood development is considered one of the most cost-effective investments in human capital and leads to the sustainable development of the country.
The state policy is aimed at ensuring accessibility and creating equal starting opportunities for the qualitative education of preschoolers.
For this purpose, the government considers the possibility of early childhood development within the family, in preschool and in other organizations that implement the standard of preschool education and training.
To ensure the availability and variability of preschool education and training, and to create favourable safe and comfortable educational conditions, the following types of preschool organizations operate:
- nursery school - provides groups of nursery and preschool age for children of one year and up to admission to the 1st grade.
- kindergarten - provides for preschool age groups for children aged three years and up to admission to the 1st grade.
- family nursery - provides different age groups (children aged one to three years, three to five years) and is created with the direct participation of family members.
- sanatorium nursery - provides for groups of nursery and preschool age for children of one year and up to admission to the 1st grade and conducts medical and physiotherapy treatment, health-improving and preventive measures (hardening, physical therapy, massage, etc.), depending on the diagnosis of the disease of children.
- preschool mini-centre provides for groups of nursery and preschool-age children of one year and up to admission to the 1st grade and operates with a full or part-time stay of children at educational organizations.
- special nursery - a preschool organization that creates special conditions for the upbringing, training, development, care and rehabilitation of children with special educational needs at the age of one year and up to admission to the 1st grade.
- a special kindergarten is a preschool organization that creates special conditions for the upbringing, training, development, care and rehabilitation of children with special educational needs at the age of three and up to admission to the 1st grade.
According to administrative data, as of the beginning of 2023, 11,104 preschool organizations (hereinafter referred to as PO) operate in the country, of which 5,681 are state-owned, and 5,423 are private. The coverage of children with preschool education and training from 2 to 6 years is 89.4%; from 3 to 6 years-98.5%.
There are 7,436 preschool organizations with Kazakh, 1,504 – with Russian, 3 – with Uyghur, 2 – with Uzbek, and 4 – with English languages of instruction.
Taking into account international assessments and practices, commitments made and results achieved, Kazakhstan is taking drastic measures to improve the quality of preschool education.
In 2021, a Model for the development of Preschool Education and Training was approved, which determines the direction of changes necessary for the transformation of preschool education and training, following changing requirements for the development and training of children and current scientific data. This model is focused on a harmonious combination of national values with modern theories of integral early childhood development and provides for the formation of personal qualities of the child based on spiritual and moral values through national culture and traditions, expanding the form of cooperation with the family.
In 2022, as part of the implementation of the Model, the following items were updated: State Mandatory Standard of Preschool Education and Training, Standard Curricula, and Standard Curriculum. These programmes include the skills and competencies of a graduate of a preschool organization and the requirements for a teacher of a preschool organization.
This provides a comprehensive approach to support the child's cognitive, physical, social and emotional development, aimed at acquiring the basic life skills necessary for their primary school education and socialization in society.
Following the Law of the Republic of Kazakhstan "On Education", preschool training is mandatory and is carried out in the family, preschool organizations, preschool classes of general education schools, lyceums and gymnasiums, and is free of charge.
Pre-school training is provided to 137,991 children in 3,339 kindergartens, as well as in 821 mini-centres. Pre-school education for 188,682 children is organized in 5,889 schools in the country. Thus, preschool training in kindergartens, mini-centres and preschool groups of schools is organized for 336,614 children, thereby the coverage was 95.8%.