The Education System in Kazakhstan

The education system in Kazakhstan is overseen by the Ministry of Education and administered at the local level. Schooling is mandatory for all students between the ages of 6 and 15, although there are several pre-university educational options for students between the ages of 16-18 as well.

As per the country’s Constitution, all children in Kazakhstan have access to kindergarten education. Kindergarten typically serves students between the ages of 2 and 5. Kindergarten classes are held five days a week in Kazakhstan for approximately 3-4 hours a day. The curriculum during this stage of education includes pre-writing, reading and arithmetic, art, music and play. Primary education lasts for four years preceded by one year of pre-school education.

Primary education in Kazakhstan typically begins at age 6 and spans four academic years—Grade 1 through Grade Four. The curriculum in Kazakhstan’s primary schools includes courses in reading, basic mathematics and computer science (in some schools), writing, Kazakh, Russian and English language, arts, science, social science, art, music and physical education. Primary school education is provided free to all citizens and residents of Kazakhstan and parents typically pay only for extra-curricular activities such as sports programs, music programs, and sometimes lab equipment or other special equipment.

Lower Secondary School Education in Kazakhstan

The period known as lower secondary or basic school in Kazakhstan is similar to middle or junior high school education in other countries like the United States. This level of education typically begins at age 10 or 11 and spans a total of five years in duration—Grades 5 through Grade 9.

At the lower levels, the curriculum is very similar to that of the primary school, albeit more advanced, with subjects such as mathematics, general science, social science, Russian or Kazakh language and physical education. Older lower secondary education students, such as those in the 8th and 9th grades, can study more advanced subjects such as foreign language, Kazakh, Russian and World Literature, history, algebra (and other higher mathematics courses), physics, biology, chemistry and many others.

Higher Secondary School Education in Kazakhstan

Once students successfully complete their lower secondary school education they are permitted to follow one of three available tracks at the higher secondary school level.

Once students successfully complete their lower secondary school education they are permitted to follow one of three available tracks at the higher secondary school level. Students may choose only one track, meaning they are not permitted to enroll in two or more tracks simultaneously.

The first track that is available to students is known as the General Education track, which spans two years and comprises grades 10 and 11. This track is purely academic in nature and is designed for students who plan to pursue university studies after finishing secondary school. The curriculum for general higher secondary education is similar to that of its lower secondary counterpart, although the subject matter students will encounter is much more difficult.

In addition to the general education track of higher secondary education there are also two types of vocational tracks: Initial Vocational Education (provided by the country’s (initial) training schools and lyceums) and Secondary Vocational Education (provided by colleges).

Tertiary Education in Kazakhstan

Tertiary or higher education in Kazakhstan is provided mainly by the country’s universities. Since 2004, all secondary school graduates have to pass a new exam, Unified National Testing Exam and receive the corresponding diploma to enter a university.

As with most modern universities, the higher education institutions in Kazakhstan offer a number of degree options in hundreds of possible majors. Currently there are three levels of tertiary education in Kazakhstan:

Bachelor Degree. The Bachelor degree in Kazakhstan typically spans four years or eight full semesters for full-time students. These basic higher education degrees provide students with the required fundamentals specific to their chosen field of study.

Master Degree. Scientific-pedagogical education in Kazakhstan can lead to a Master’s degree, which typically spans an additional two years in duration after the Bachelor degree.

Doctoral Degree. Doctoral degrees, leading to PhD degree, span two years after the Master’s degree.

Questions:

1. How many levels of educational system in Kazakhstan?

2. What are features of Kindergarten?

3. What are features of Primary school?

4. What are features of Secondary School?

5. What are features of Vocational training?

6. What are features of Higher Education?

· Find information about education system in the UK and the US.

· Venn diagram: Difficulties and similarities of elementary school: Kazakhstan and the UK/US (duration, curriculum, extracurricular work, teacher competence, school subjects, etc.)

Elementary school in Kazakhstan Elementary school in the US/ UK

Practical lesson #3

1. Pre-reading task: complete the associogram below:

2. Reading task: complete the text with the following words: team teaching, developing, work, notes, teaching tips, attention, professional community, training, journals, research, staff room, language, experiences, goals, blind observation, teaching diary, activities, feedback.

DEVELOPING AS A TEACHER

‘Developing as a teacher is important but I don’t have the time or the money to do a course”

Rashid, Pakistan

What can we do to develop professionally?

Here are some ideas.

· Talk to other teachers. The _________________ is a great resource - it’s full of teachers with ideas that you can borrow to try with your classes.

· Keep a ____________________. After each lesson, makes __________ on what you learned about your students, yourself, teaching, and the English ___________. List simple personal ________________ such as trying group or pair _____________.

· Read about your profession in teaching ____________, books, online articles, blogs, etc.

· Try a _______________________. This is good if you don’t want someone to watch your class at first or if it’s difficult to find a time when someone can watch you teach. The teacher tells the ‘observer’ (a colleague) about the lesson she is going to teach and describes one or two areas that she wants to improve (for example, instructions). She then teaches the lesson (without the ‘observer’). After the lesson, the two colleagues have _______________, paying particular _____________ to those one or two areas.

· Try ______________________. Plan and teach a lesson with another teacher. Decide who is going to teach which parts of the class. This is a great way to learn about different ways of teaching from each other.

· Give a session/workshop at your school. Choose a topic that interests you, such as creating resources. Do some ________________ and plan what you want to say to your colleagues. Give teachers ideas for _______________ to use in class.

· Start a _______________________ with colleagues. You can meet (in person or online) to exchange _______________, share resources, compare ______________, and work on projects together (for example, improving English). The community can be just two people or as big as you like.

· Think about professional __________________. You could learn to be a teacher trainer or an online tutor. Perhaps your school can help pay for training courses (some online courses are free).

Be open to trying new ideas and look for ways to learn more about your profession. ___________________ professionally can make your job more interesting and improve your teaching

3. Post reading task: Answer the following questions:

1. What can you do to develop as teacher according to the text strategies?

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2. Match:

2. Write 10-15 sentences on the topic “Developing as an elementary school teacher”

• I should read research papers.

• I should learn special terms.

• I should read books in Special Pedagogy and Special Psychology.

• I should ____________________________________________________

• ___________________________________________________________

• ____________________________________________________________

• ____________________________________________________________

• ____________________________________________________________

Practical lesson #4

1. Give your opinion:

(1) Is the course of development continuous or discontinuous?

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

(2) Is there one general course of development that characterizes all children, or are there many possible courses?

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

(3) Are genetic or environmental factors more important in determining development?

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

(4) Do individual children establish stable, lifelong patterns of behavior in early development, or are they open to change?

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2. Read the text about Sigmund Freud and complete it with missing words:

Pre-reading task: Write your associations:

Reading task: read the text and complete the missing words: psychoanalysis, wife, Martha Bernays, Germany, mentor, mind.