June 22, 2026

Education in Kazakhstan: Systemic Challenges and Personal Responsibility

Articles

Useful Information

In May 2026, the DEMOSCOPE Public Opinion Express Monitoring Bureau surveyed 1,100 Kazakhstanis about the quality of education in the country.

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One in three respondents identified low teacher qualifications and corruption as the primary barriers to educational development. More than 40% believe that equal access to quality education is not guaranteed in Kazakhstan. According to the PISA 2022 rankings, the country placed 46th in mathematics and 61st in reading among 81 participating countries.

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Source: DEMOSCOPE Survey - Key Barriers to Educational Development

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What Is the Current Reality?

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The DEMOSCOPE study highlights several persistent challenges.

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The first is teacher quality

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According to 30.8% of respondents, the qualifications of educators remain insufficient. At the same time, 18.6% specifically identified low teacher salaries as a separate obstacle. The connection is clear: a profession with limited financial incentives struggles to attract and retain top talent.

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The second challenge is unequal access to quality education

A total of 57.4% of Kazakhstanis believe that secondary education in Almaty, Astana, and Shymkent is of higher quality than in other regions. Among respondents, 38.8% cited family income as the primary factor driving educational inequality, while 23.8% pointed to place of residence. PISA data confirms that a family's socio-economic status directly affects student performance and literacy outcomes.

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The third challenge is systemic inertia

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Education in Kazakhstan has undergone continuous reform for years, yet reforms that are not given sufficient time to take effect often produce limited results. Over the past decade, PISA experts have consistently identified the same recurring issues within the country's secondary education system.

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Personal Responsibility

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Systemic problems cannot be solved overnight, nor can they be solved solely through top-down reforms. But every individual who chooses quality education helps drive that change.

Expecting high standards from education is reasonable. Seeking an environment that matches your ambitions is a smart strategy.

Every step toward better education is also a personal contribution to positive change.

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A Response to Unequal Access

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Regardless of whether a student studied in Kazakh, Russian, or another language. Regardless of where they come from. Regardless of their family's income level.

The Foundation Year is designed to level the playing field. The educational gap between a student from a major city and one from a rural area after eleven years of schooling can often be significantly reduced within a single year, provided the student has access to the right environment, qualified educators, and an effective learning model.

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During the Foundation Year at inVision U, students strengthen their English proficiency in preparation for English-medium instruction, improve their mathematics and IT fundamentals, and develop critical thinking and academic writing skills.

For ambitious applicants who are ready to work hard and want to build their future in Kazakhstan without leaving the country or taking on educational debt the inVision U bachelor's programs offer an opportunity to receive a high-quality education free of charge.

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No student loans. No post-graduation obligations.

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A Choice You Can Make Today

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The DEMOSCOPE findings describe the current state of education. It does not determine the future of any individual who makes a deliberate and informed choice.

The systemic challenges are real. Teacher qualifications, unequal access to quality education, and regional disparities continue to affect thousands of people. But there is a significant difference between saying “the system is unfair” and believing “nothing can be changed.”

Transforming an entire educational system overnight is impossible.

Changing your own path within that system is not.

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