19.12.2024, 16:24 3646

Presidents of Kazakhstan, Guinea-Bissau visit AIFC

Images | Akorda

Head of State Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and President of Guinea-Bissau Umaro Sissoco Embaló, who is paying an official visit to Kazakhstan, have visited the Astana International Financial Centre, Kazinform News Agency learned from the Akorda press service.

Renat Bekturov, the Governor of the AIFC, informed the guests about the AIFC’s structure and the areas of its activity. He said that investments, green and Islamic financing, as well as training personnel for financial sector could be priority areas of the two countries’ cooperation on the AIFC platform.

According to him, the volume of investments attracted through the AIFC has reached $14 billion, $6.7 billion of which are portfolio investments on the Astana International Exchange. More than 3,400 companies from 85 countries including six companies from the African continent have been registered at the AIFC.

The presidents of Kazakhstan and Guinea-Bissau were informed about activity of the AIFC Court - Central Asia’s first judicial system based on the norms and principles of case law, as well as about operation of the International Arbitration Centre and Green Finance Centre. The heads of state also got familiarized with the activity of Astana Financial Services Authority (AFSA) and the peculiarities of the AIFC’s regulatory framework.

Umaro Sissoco Embaló arrived in Kazakhstan on December 18 for an official visit at the invitation of Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.

The two presidents adopted a joint statement, after which they held a briefing for mass media.

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19.12.2024, 15:16 4251

Olzhas Bektenov: Time zone decision based on very deep scientific research

Images | primeminister.kz

During his working trip to Kostanay region Prime Minister of Kazakhstan Olzhas Bektenov visited the plants, where meetings with the management and staff of the enterprises were held. Prospects of socio-economic development of the region, building human resources capacity, solving infrastructural problems were discussed, primeminister.kz reports.

Attention was also paid to the issue of a single time zone. According to the speakers, the issue of introducing a single time zone was previously raised by the residents of Kostanay region, as the previous time zone did not correspond to the natural time. Thus, the decision to switch to a single time zone facilitated daily life processes. In this regard, the participants of the meeting spoke in favour of a single time zone.

Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov in his conversation with residents drew attention to the fact that the positive impact of natural time on the health and well-being of citizens has been scientifically proven. In 2017, a group of American scientists was awarded the Nobel Prize for the study of human circadian rhythms, which confirmed that it is most beneficial for health to live in accordance with natural time. On the basis of this work and other scientific research in 2022 the Barcelona Declaration was adopted, signed by scientists and statesmen from more than 80 countries.

The Head of the Government thanked the residents of Kostanay region and all Kazakhstanis for understanding and support of this important decision.

The decision was made on the basis of very deep scientific research, which was conducted not only in Kazakhstan, but also abroad. In 2017, a group of American scientists was awarded the Nobel Prize for the study of human circadian rhythms. And in this study, scientists proved that it is best and healthier for a person when he lives in his natural time. That is why now progressive countries of the world are striving for transition to the natural time zone. For Kazakhstan, the natural time zone is the one we live in now, UTC+5. Earlier, you know, we were in a different one - UTC+6. At one time, the country was transferred to a time zone that is not natural for us. Now, on the contrary, we have aligned the time to the solar cycles. I realise that the transition to a single time zone can be uncomfortable for some people. The organism gradually gets used to it. This decision has been made. If there are any inconveniences in the regions, we need to work with infrastructure, lighting, organisation of flexible schedules, which is allowed by our labour laws. All these issues will be further resolved," Prime Minister stressed.

During the meeting with the staff of the plant the issues of working conditions and other measures of support in anticipation of the upcoming Year of working professions, announced by the Head of State.

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19.12.2024, 14:23 4041

Olzhas Bektenov checks implementation of President's instructions on industrial development at Kostanay region's industrial zone

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Prime Minister of Kazakhstan Olzhas Bektenov during his working trip to Kostanay region got acquainted with the industrial potential of the region. Fulfilment of the President's instructions, voiced in the Address, on development of high conversion and increasing the level of localisation was checked, primeminister.kz reports.

The Head of the Government was informed that for 11 months of this year the volume of industrial production in Kostanay region reached 2.5 trillion tenge, the share of manufacturing industry exceeded 72%. This year 6 industrial projects worth 124.7 billion tenge were implemented in the region, 1,301 jobs were created.

Olzhas Bektenov familiarised himself with the technological process and the company's plans to build a new plant aimed at the production of steel billets at Caspian Steel QZ. The capacity of the existing plant is 450 thousand tonnes per year. Thus, for 10 months of this year 311.4 thousand tonnes of rolled steel and 10.9 thousand tonnes of scrap metal were produced. The plant's products cover domestic needs and are sold on foreign markets. Since the beginning of the year, 112.6 thousand tonnes of small section rolled steel products worth more than 32 billion tenge have been exported.

The estimated capacity of the new steel billet plant is 1 million tonnes per year. Alexander Kim, director of Caspian Group, said that $650m is planned to be invested in the project. During its operation, the plant will employ 600 people, and another 400 jobs will be created in contractor organisations. It is planned to use electric arc furnaces of the latest generation, which minimise environmental impact within the framework of global transition to ‘green’ economy. It is noted that the implementation of the project will allow localising the production of rebar rolled products with an increase in the domestic content in the final product up to 99%. At the same time, the share of manufacturing industry in the region will increase by 12.3%.

Olzhas Bektenov noted the significance of the investment project and emphasised the need to form a belt of small and medium-sized businesses around large industrial production facilities.

The President has clearly set a task for the Government - to find new sources of economic growth. Each region has its own strengths and we strive to maximise the potential where we will get a concrete increase in the economy of the region, the country and in general in the work to improve the welfare of the people. The path of economic patriotism we have chosen is bearing fruit in the form of new domestic factories and production facilities, which in turn are developing a layer of SMEs around them. All this allows us to increase self-sufficiency of the domestic economy and create productive jobs," Head of the Government said.

Olzhas Bektenov got acquainted with the development of ferrous metallurgy at the plant KamLitKZ which is a key manufacturer of cast iron castings for trucks with a capacity of 45 thousand tonnes of castings per year. The Prime Minister was informed that the main technological process covers the full cycle of production of automotive components and ensures compliance of products with international quality standards. In 2025 it is planned to launch the second plant with capacity of up to 75 thousand products per year, which will apply advanced technologies of precision stamping.

Today, Kostanay region is the country's leader in the machine-building sector. Prime Minister was informed about the pace of development of automobile industry in the region on the territory of the industrial zone, where a plant for production of Kia cars is being built. The total cost of the project is estimated at $200 million, of which about 80% are direct foreign investments. The launch of the enterprise is scheduled for 2025, today the works on the construction of the main production building, the foundation, as well as the installation of steel structures have been completed. Head of the Government was informed about plans to establish paint and varnish production, including all types of polymer coatings, which will ensure a higher level of localisation. The full design capacity of the plant is up to 70 thousand cars annually. The plant's products will be manufactured using the small-assembly method. The production will be equipped with 68 robots. The launch of the plant will create 1.5 thousand new high-paying jobs.

At the site of one of the leading automobile enterprises of Kazakhstan ‘SaryarkaAvtoprom’ Prime Minister inspected production facilities and familiarised himself with the peculiarities of technological processes of car assembly on a full cycle. General Director of the plant Syrym Semeibayev said that in 2024 the volume of output is planned to reach 90 thousand cars. The production line is represented by such brands as JAC, Kia, Chevrolet, Jetour, Hongqi, Skoda.

The plant has a unique ‘Operational Response Centre’, which is an innovative platform combining physical and digital security. One of the key advantages of the centre is the use of teachable artificial intelligence, which allows the system to adapt to changes and introduce new analytical approaches. This is the first such project in Kazakhstan, aimed at increasing labour productivity and creating a comfortable working environment for employees. In addition, it was noted that the car plant is working to deepen localisation. In the industrial zone is under construction Localisation Centre with an area of 30 thousand square metres.

The enterprise pays special attention to the development of technical personnel. For this purpose, specialised areas of industrial training have been organised in all shops: over 1.2 thousand specialists have undergone it for 11 months of this year.

The Head of the Government noted that the expansion of production should be accompanied by parallel work on the training of qualified personnel and attracting young people to the implementation of industrial projects. The effective mechanism is vocational education, as well as the platform of the championship on skills WorldSkills Kazakhstan. Olzhas Bektenov also noted the importance of introducing digital solutions into production processes, aimed at increasing the efficiency of enterprises and the volume of products.

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19.12.2024, 10:22 3836

Olzhas Bektenov discusses Venture Capital Fund launch with international and Kazakhstani experts

Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov held a meeting with leading experts in venture capital financing, representatives of Kazakhstan's business community and international partners. The central topic of discussion was the creation of the Venture Capital Fund aimed at attracting global capital, developing the startup ecosystem and strengthening Kazakhstan's position as a regional centre of technology and innovation, primeminister.kz reports.

Invited to the dialogue, Ilya Strebulaev, professor at Stanford University and a recognized expert on venture investments, Malika Aubakirova, partner at Andreessen Horowitz, Galym Imanbaev, partner at Lightspeed Venture Partners, and Anna Fokina, investment director at DCVC, shared their own experience in developing innovations. The experts noted that in order to achieve significant progress, it is important for Kazakhstan to strengthen co-operation with the world's leading venture capital funds, which will provide access to advanced technologies and best investment management practices. They emphasised that in order to attract global capital, it is necessary to strengthen the legal infrastructure and create conditions to support startups in the late stages of their development.

Zhaslan Madiyev, Minister of Digital Development, Innovation and Aerospace Industry, noted that Kazakhstan is already a leader in Central Asia, providing more than 70% of all venture capital deals in the region. Over the past 5 years, the volume of venture capital in the country has grown more than 6 times, reaching $ 80 million.

The creation of the fund marks a new stage in the development of the country's venture capital market, aimed at integrating Kazakhstan into the international ecosystem of investment and technology.

The Venture Capital Fund aims to attract $1bn of private investment in the medium term, which will be channelled into leading global, regional and Kazakhstani venture capital funds. This will ensure effective diversification, maximising access to global competencies and critical technologies needed to transform the economy. To date, applications have been collected from representatives of large Kazakhstani businesses for more than $100 million to form the start-up capital of the fund.

Special attention in the work of the fund will be paid to promising areas, including artificial intelligence, digital health and other key technology sectors. According to forecasts, by 2030 the global market of artificial intelligence will grow to $827 billion, which makes this area one of the priority areas for investment.

Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov emphasised that the creation of the Venture Capital Fund will not only open access to advanced technologies, but will also strengthen Kazakhstan's position as an international hub for startups and technologies.

As President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev noted, we are building an economy based on knowledge and innovation. Today, the IT sector is actively developing in Kazakhstan, exports of digital services are increasing, and young specialists are becoming in demand both inside and outside the country. Our key task is to create conditions for retaining our own and attracting new talent, to support startups at all stages of their development and attract global competences to Kazakhstan," Olzhas Bektenov said.

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18.12.2024, 09:43 3431

Protected areas increased to 30.9 million hectares in Kazakhstan

Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources of the Republic of Kazakhstan Yerlan Nysanbayev at the Government session reported on the work carried out in the Republic to preserve rare and endangered species of animals, primeminister.kz reports.

He reported that today in the list of rare and endangered species registered 227 species of animals, of which 131 species of vertebrates and 96 invertebrates.

Based on the materials of the biological substantiation of the Institute of Zoology, an update of the list has been initiated. This work is carried out in accordance with the criteria of the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Proposals have been made to exclude 21 species of invertebrate animals and to include 6 species of invertebrates and 5 vertebrates. The most effective integrated measure to preserve rare and endangered species of animals is recognised as the creation of specially protected natural areas (SPNA)," Yerlan Nysanbayev said.

According to the agency, over the years of independence, the area of protected areas has increased from 869,000 hectares to 30.9 million hectares through the expansion of existing protected areas and the creation of new ones.

Thanks to the measures taken to preserve the country's biodiversity, there has been an increase in the populations of rare animal species such as the tugai deer, kulan, argali and gazelle.

A number of comprehensive measures have been taken in the republic to restore the number of snow leopards, special protected areas have been created in key habitats on an area of 3.6 million hectares, and now about 70 per cent of leopard habitats are protected by protected areas.

Modern methods of counting and monitoring are actively applied, using camera traps and satellite telemetry. The tagging of 11 leopard individuals with satellite collars has been carried out, and based on the data obtained it is planned to improve the network of specially protected natural areas.

Thanks to the efforts taken to protect and monitor snow leopards, we have managed to increase the number of snow leopards from the critical level of the 1990s by more than 2 times and bring it up to about 180 individuals. The work on the conservation of the species continues, transboundary and international co-operation is actively developing," Yerlan Nysanbayev emphasised.

In addition, in order to preserve the population of the Great Bustard and release it into the natural habitat within the framework of the agreement with the United Arab Emirates, the Centre for reproduction of the Great Bustard was built in Turkestan region. From 2009 to 2024, more than 73 thousand red-breasted bustards bred in the Centre were released into the wild.

The Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources also said that within the framework of the programme for the restoration of the Turanian tiger, the Ile-Balkhash state natural reserve has been created.

To restore the tiger's natural food base, 205 individuals of tugai deer were brought into the reserve from 2018 to 2024, work was carried out to relocate more than 100 heads of kulans, and the density of roe deer and wild boar populations was increased.

In autumn of this year, two tigers were brought from the Netherlands to the Ile-Balkhash reserve for cage breeding. In 2025, 3-4 tigers from the wild are expected to be brought from the Russian Federation.

We hope that the imported tigers and their offspring will be the first wild tigers reappeared in Kazakhstan after more than 70 years of absence," Yerlan Nysanbayev said.

It is noted that the resettlement of animals and the creation of conditions for their adaptation contribute to the conservation of species and restoration of the natural balance of the unique steppe ecosystems of Kazakhstan.

Also under the programme for the restoration of kulan populations successfully completed work on the resettlement of kulans in the reserves "Ile-Balkhash" and "Altyn-Dala".

Thanks to 14 individuals imported from Turkmenistan in 1956, the number of kulans has reached 4493 animals.

The work on reintroduction of Przewalski's horse continues, earlier the historical habitat of the horse in Kazakhstan included the territory of 9 regions of Kazakhstan.

Przewalski's horse disappeared from the world wildlife by the end of 1960s.

Thanks to cooperation between the Ministry and international organisations, in June this year the first 7 Przewalski's horses were brought from the Prague Zoo to the Altyn Dala reserve in the Kostanay region. It is planned to bring 40 heads of horses till 2029.

Yerlan Nysanbayev also emphasised that another example of successful experience of wildlife conservation in the country is the growth of the saiga population from 21,000 animals in 2003 to 2.8 million animals in 2024, with a projected post-emergency population of about 4 million animals. Today, 99 per cent of the world's saiga population is in Kazakhstan.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has upgraded the conservation status of saigas on the international Red List by three categories from "Endangered" to "Near Threatened," Yerlan Nysanbayev added.

Together with the deputies of the Majilis, a bill has been initiated to develop the potential for game breeding.

The experience of game breeding abroad convincingly proves that artificial breeding of wild animals helps to restore the number of rare animal species, reduce pressure on their natural populations, creates reserves of the gene pool of species, helps to maintain balance in ecosystems and genetic diversity of fauna.

For example, in Western Europe about 10 thousand farms keep more than 700 thousand ungulates. In New Zealand they keep more than 800 thousand individuals of red and spotted deer, as well as fallow deer. In Namibia, 5,000 ranches hold over 500,000 animals of 11 species of ungulates," Yerlan Nysanbayev said.

Within the framework of digitalisation, the Ministry together with NC Kazakstan Garysh Sapary JSC developed an interactive map of natural resources "Tabigat.gov.kz".

At the moment the map contains data on habitats, migration of wild animals and hunting farms. In the future it is planned to add information on national parks, water bodies, tourist routes, recreational areas, fishing grounds.

In realisation of obligations of the Republic of Kazakhstan within the framework of the Convention on Biodiversity Conservation the development of the "Concept of Biodiversity Conservation in the Republic of Kazakhstan" is being finalised, which will determine the further strategy of work on rare species for the next 10 years.

In 9 regions, specialised wildlife conservation organisations have not yet been established and 14.8 million hectares of the reserve fund remain unprotected. This burden falls on the ministries of ecology and natural resources, as well as internal affairs. Some regions have found an optimal solution to this issue. In particular, in Karaganda region a separate organisation was not created, but the existing institution for the protection of forests and wildlife was given additional functions," Yerlan Nysanbayev noted.

In addition, as the Minister noted, akimats should organise work on scientific research in the field of protection, reproduction and use of wildlife. The regions do not actually carry out this work.

The issue of reducing the number of saker falcon also requires attention. According to scientists, in recent decades it has become extremely rare, and in some areas it has completely disappeared.

At the same time, the lack of extensive research to determine the current population size of the Saker Falcon in Kazakhstan does not allow the government to develop a position on conservation and restoration measures.

In this regard, the Ministry has developed two scientific and technical programmes for 2025-2027, in terms of research into the actual number of the saker falcon and assessing the effectiveness of its release into the environment.

At present, we are waiting for consideration of these topics at the meeting of the Higher Scientific and Technical Commission, after which we will go to the Republican Budget Commission for consideration. To effectively restore the falcon population, it is necessary to establish a reproduction centre. We are currently working on this issue with international partners," Yerlan Nysanbayev concluded.

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04.12.2024, 13:05 201171

Olzhas Bektenov on priorities in geological exploration: State companies should first of all explore our subsoil to increase revenues

The Government session chaired by Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov considered the issue of development of the geological industry. The Minister of Industry and Construction Kanat Sharlapayev, Deputy Minister of Energy Yerlan Akkenzhenov and the head of the National Geological Service Yerlan Galiyev reported on the current situation and work carried out, primeminister.kz reports.

In pursuance of the President's instruction to increase the area of geological research from 1.5 to 2.2 million m2 from 2026, the Government is working to improve the investment climate, improve legislation on subsoil use and the introduction of AI technologies for data processing. To date, the area of subsoil studied has been brought to 2 million m2. As part of international cooperation with geological services of foreign countries, joint searches for prospective mineral deposits in East Kazakhstan are being conducted. All received information is uploaded to the Unified platform of subsoil use. In total, more than 66 thousand geological reports are placed on minerals.e-qazyna.kz.

Minister of Industry and Construction Kanat Sharlapayev reported on the ongoing work on digitisation of primary geological information. To date, 2.5 million data have been digitised. This work will be strengthened through the introduction of AI technologies. It is planned to digitise another 1.5 million data by the end of next year. It is planned to complete the entire process by the end of 2026.

In the hydrocarbon sector, the Enhanced Model Contract mechanism has been introduced, aimed at improving competitiveness and creating conditions for attracting investment in geological exploration of complex fields. Taking into account the growing demand for rare earth metals, their prospecting at 12 sites is being finalised at the expense of state funding. At the same time, lithium is of particular relevance, searches for which are conducted within the Bayankol area, Aral and Caspian regions. In addition, this year an area for exploration of solid minerals was opened on the territory of about 1 million km2. This allowed attracting large international companies such as Riotinto, Fortescue, Arras Minerals, etc. to the country.

At the same time, despite the country's leading position in terms of reserves of certain types of metals, Kazakhstan is experiencing a decline in production. In particular, there is low activity of prospecting works on expansion of reserves of solid minerals and hydrocarbons.

Prime Minister emphasised that it is necessary to change the existing approaches to work. It is necessary to develop and ensure clear implementation of the state policy on rational and effective use of the existing mineral resource base and development of new deposits. Today there is an impoverishment of mined minerals and the presence of high impurities, which requires the attraction of significant funds and the development of new technologies of extraction and purification. For this purpose, specific measures and preferences should be developed to attract investment.

In addition, the National Geological Service, established on the instructions of the Head of State, should receive appropriate support and authority, as well as scientific and technological infrastructure. In this direction, the importance of co-ordination of joint work with the SK Fund has been emphasised.

Attention is also paid to the use of modern technologies, including aerogeophysical survey, allowing to reduce the cost of ground surveys. In this regard, it is necessary to digitise geological information obtained 30 and more years ago and stored in paper format or on tapes. In addition, there is a need for certified laboratory confirmation for international financial organisations.

The government is paying special attention to supporting geological exploration, creating favourable conditions for attracting investment, developing new incentive mechanisms and further improving legislation. We must first of all hand over our underground national wealth to state companies, explore it, develop it, develop it, and then attract investors. Only then will the price rise and the state will benefit. It is necessary to use this tool more widely," Olzhas Bektenov emphasised.

As a result of consideration of the issue Prime Minister gave a number of instructions:

To develop specific mechanisms and necessary legislative amendments to attract investment in geological exploration, including by providing preferences in the development of ‘deep’ horizons and complex fields (to the ministries of industry and construction, energy).

Create a specialised accredited laboratory for analytical studies of rocks that will meet international standards (Ministries of Industry and Construction, Trade and Integration together with the Samruk-Kazyna Fund).

Work on the creation of a scientific ecological-geological cluster on the basis of the National Geological Service. At the initial stage, the existing technological capabilities of Tau-Ken Samruk should be utilised. In general, the national mining company is instructed to support and develop (the Ministries of Industry and Construction, Energy together with the Samruk-Kazyna Fund).

To develop by the end of the year an effective mechanism for financing and conducting aerogeophysical survey on areas of primary importance (Ministry of Industry and Construction together with the Ministries of Energy, Digital Development and Finance).

To intensify digitalisation of historical data and ensure appropriate work on its preservation (Ministry of Industry and Construction together with the Ministries of Finance, Digital Development and National Geological Service).

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03.12.2024, 20:22 200146

Enhancing accessibility and education quality in rural areas: Kazakhstan Khalkyna Foundation scales up Capacity Development of Small Rural Schools Using Digital Technologies project

Bolat Zhamishev, Chairman of the Board of Kazakhstan Khalkyna PF, told at the Government session on the development of rural schools about the projects that the Fund is implementing to improve the accessibility and quality of education in villages, primeminister.kz reports.

According to him, firstly, the current problems in the field of education were analysed in order to identify areas where the Foundation could provide support. The results of the research showed that the most vulnerable is rural education, where half of the educational institutions are understaffed.

In this regard, Kazakhstan Khalkyna PF launched the project "Capacity Building of Support Schools in Rural Areas" aimed at reducing the gap in education between urban and rural schools.

According to Bolat Zhamishev, over 3 years 135 support schools have been created out of 191 planned. Another 56 are planned to be completed in 2025. The Fund has allocated 33.5 billion tenge to equip support schools.

In addition, the Fund together with the Ministry of Education and regional akimats implemented the project ‘Development of the potential of small rural schools in Aktobe region with the use of digital technologies’, when teachers of support schools teach in small schools. At the expense of the "Kazakhstan Khalkyna" PF, 134 small schools have been equipped for a total amount of over 1.8 billion tenge.

In educational establishments with more than 80 children, a digital room has been set up to organise online learning, robotics classes and a science room for biology, chemistry and physics. Where there are less than 80 pupils, a universal room for organising online learning has been set up.

During the implementation of the Project, 4 models of organisation of the learning process were tested, 12 thousand online lessons were conducted.

The only way to ensure proper education in small schools is to implement projects to introduce online and offline learning. Teachers from support schools should be responsible for the quality of education in small schools. They should receive additional remuneration for this. They shouldperiodically visit these small schools," Bolat Zhamishev said.

In addition, he added that the Kazakhstan Khalkyna Foundation is ready to participate in replication of this project in Kostanay, Akmola and North-Kazakhstan regions.

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03.12.2024, 19:19 198846

New teaching model to be introduced in small schools

Minister of Education Gani Beisembayev reported on the ongoing work on the development of rural schools at the Government session, primeminister.kz reports.

Today in Kazakhstan, more than half of the nearly 8,000 schools are located in rural areas. 51 per cent of them are small schools. The gap between urban and rural schools is confirmed by the results of international PISA studies. Compared to the results of PISA-2018, the difference in maths and science literacy in 2022 has decreased by 4-5 points, while the reading literacy level has remained the same.

The Minister noted that in order to develop the potential of rural schools in the country, the project ‘Auyl Mektebi - Sapa Alanyi’ is being implemented. Within the framework of it Gani Beisembayev singled out three directions, which are effectively implemented in the regions:

In 50 schools of Almaty region in 2023-2024 academic year, a project to improve the quality of education in subjects of natural and mathematical direction with the participation of the international public fund ‘Bilim-Innovation’ was implemented.
In order to improve the quality of education in schools in the Mangystau region, the ‘Otpan’ project was launched in the region in the current academic year, covering 50 schools, including 35 rural schools.
In Aktobe region, a large-scale project ‘Increasing the potential of rural schools using digital technologies’ was implemented in the 2023-2024 academic year with the support of the Ministry, with the participation of the regional akimat and the public foundation ‘Kazakhstan Khalkyna’. The project covered 12 support and 134 small schools with more than 11,000 students and about 3,500 teachers.

As part of the project, the material and technical base of support schools was completely renewed, and small schools were equipped with subject and digital classrooms. Schools have been provided with high-speed Internet access. School leaders and teachers involved in the project have taken special courses aimed at improving digital competence and professional development.

Four training models were developed taking into account the technical capabilities of small schools. Lessons were observed remotely, students' learning achievements were monitored, and teachers were provided with systematic methodological support.

The Minister noted that the comprehensive work carried out under the project helped to improve the quality of education in small schools. This is confirmed by the results of monitoring conducted in grades 6, 8 and 10.

The results of the project in Aktobe Province showed that out of the four tested models of education, the model ‘Support School - Small Comprehensive Schools’ is the most effective. In this regard, Gani Beisembayev proposed to scale up the project.

The Akimat should plan to allocate financial resources from the local budget to upgrade the material and technical base of support and small schools, to provide quality Internet, to pay allowances to stimulate teachers of support schools.
The Education Department ensures project implementation, monitoring and analysis, and quality control.
The Methodological Centre fully supervises the training and methodological support of teachers and coordination of the educational process.
The support school implements a set of support measures to improve the quality of education in a small-size school with full use of available resources.
The main task of a small school is to effectively utilise the support and resources of the support school.

In turn, the Ministry of Education, as the national coordinator, has developed a strategy for the development of rural schools. Akimats now need to ensure step-by-step implementation of work on scaling up the project on the basis of the developed strategy.

For example, this year the project has already involved 10 support and 30 small schools in Akmola, Kostanay, Pavlodar, West Kazakhstan and North Kazakhstan regions. From January 2025, 192 basic and 759 small schools from 17 regions will take part in the project. At the third stage, the project should cover all remaining small-sized schools.

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