Here’s what changes in Kazakhstan starting tomorrow
Student scholarships will increase
From September 1, the amount of monthly state scholarships will increase in Kazakhstan, affecting nearly 380,000 students. Notably, scholarships for undergraduate students will increase by 20 percent, scholarships for masters and doctoral students by 15 percent and scholarships for vocational education and training students by 50 percent.
The Kazakh Government launched Comfortable School national project under which 369 schools will be built. An Education Infrastructure Support Fund has been created, where the funds recovered from the state as part of anti-corruption measures are accumulated. To date, the fund has received 120 billion tenge, including 97 billion tenge to build 62 schools.
The number of educational grants at domestic universities increases annually. This year, 73,000 out of 88,000 allocated grants were awarded to this year’s school graduates.
Mandatory registration of pets
Starting from September 1, 2023, citizens will have to ensure mandatory registration of dogs and cats by implanting a chip or putting a tag on cats and dogs, according to the law on the responsible treatment of animals.
Registration of domestic animals is carried out by state veterinary organizations, or private legal entities carrying out treatment-prophylactic business activities in the field of veterinary medicine.
Violation of the mandatory registration entails administrative fine, according to the country’s legislation.
Registration of other types of pets, including rats, or minipigs, will remain voluntary. While entering information about the animal into the system will be free for Kazakhstan’s citizens, owners will have to pay out of their wallet for the chip, tag and the procedure itself. An exception will be made only for socially vulnerable categories of citizens who cannot afford to pay for such services.
English language to be taught from third grade
Starting from September 1, English language will be taught from third grade. Previously, it was taught starting from second grade. According to the Kazakh Ministry of Education, this approach is known to be more effective.
The ministry said it is difficult for a first-grader to learn three languages, Kazakh, English and Russian, at once.
In Kazakh-language schools, in the first grade, kids will focus on Kazakh, in the second grade will have Russian language added to their curriculum, and English in the third grade.
As for schools with the Russian language of instruction, in the first grade, children will learn Kazakh and Russian and then English from the third grade.
Pedagogical support centers for parents kick off their work
Starting from September 1, the Pedagogical Support Center for Parents will start its work, with its main purpose to strengthen the work on the interaction between the family and the school in the education and upbringing of children.
On September 1, a unified educational program for 2023-2025 will be launched aimed at improving the quality of education of the younger generation based on universal and national values and covers five million students, as well as parents and the public. For the first time this year, representatives of the Ministries of Interior, Emergency Situations, Defense and the National Security Committee will be involved to train students in educational programs.
Free hot meals for elementary school students
Starting from September 1, absolutely all elementary school students will be served free meals, the task given by President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev in his address to the nation in September 2022. There are nearly 1.4 million children in elementary schools in Kazakhstan.
From September 1, 3.9 million children will study in 7,700 educational organizations, including 364,000 first-graders.
By September 1, the country will open the doors of 52 new schools with a capacity of 65,600 seats, and by the end of the year, another 102 schools with a capacity of 66,400 seats will follow. This will address 12 hazardous and 29 triple-shift schools’ problem.
Salaries of doctors and secondary medical workers will increase
From September 1, the salaries of doctors and secondary medical personnel will increase. The correction coefficients set by the Ministry of Health will reach 3.42 instead of 2.73 for doctors, and 2.34 instead of 2.05 for secondary medical personnel.
This year, by the Government’s decree, it was decided to increase the salary of doctors working in state medical organizations by 30 percent, and the salary of middle personnel by 20 percent. Accordingly, wage payment coefficients were approved, however, according to the ministry, even the increased coefficients could not provide 30 percent and 20 percent growth.
That is why there is a gap in the payment of wages between salaried medical workers and employees of health care entities financed under the National Health Insurance Fund and the Ministry of Health, who receive wages according to the sectoral agreement.
Presidential Youth Personnel Reserve starts accepting applications
Starting September 1, Presidential Youth Personnel Reserve will start the enrollment of applications for the new cohort.
The youth personnel reserve is one of the first initiatives of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev meant to serve as an effective social lift for talented youth.
Selection to the reserve is carried out every two years and previously held in 2019 and 2021. 264 reserve members are employed in various positions in government bodies and the quasi-public sector, and 31 hold political positions.
As part of the selection, candidates will be assessed for their ability to work with textual and numerical information, as well as solve situational problems, competency assessment and a series of interviews.
Selected persons will be included in the reserve for a period of three years with the right of out-of-competition appointment to responsible positions in the civil service and the quasi-public sector.
In conclusion, the changes that will take effect in Kazakhstan on September 1, 2023 are significant and will have a major impact on people’s lives.