Minister: Kazakhstan Advances Major School Construction and Modernization Drive

Kazakh Education Minister Gani Beissembayev has announced significant progress in an ambitious program to build and modernize schools across the country.

Currently, construction is underway on 232 new schools that will collectively provide 267,000 pupil seats, The Caspian Post reports per Kazakh media.

This September 1, 83 newly built schools are set to open their doors to 115,000 pupils, with an additional 111 schools planned to welcome 140,000 children by the end of the year.

Alongside new construction, renovation projects are ongoing at 245 existing schools, serving 190,000 pupils -145,000 in rural areas and 100,000 in cities. Of these, upgrades at 127 schools are slated for completion before the new academic year begins.

Beissembayev underscored that regional administrations bear responsibility for the timely and high-quality delivery of these projects.

This year’s modernization efforts focus heavily on rural schools, with plans to upgrade 1,000 institutions serving over 69,000 pupils. So far, 733 schools-approximately 73.3 per cent of the target-have completed major renovations. However, several regions including Almaty, Zhambyl, Mangistau, Turkistan, West Kazakhstan, and East Kazakhstan face risks of delays in meeting overhaul deadlines.

In addition, 853 schools, accounting for 77.5 per cent of the plan, have been outfitted with the necessary equipment for specialized subject classrooms.

According to earlier data, roughly 341,000 children will start school this year, while about 232,000 pupils will move up to grade 11.