Distance learning to continue in Kazakhstan from September 1

Government of the country will ensure the transfer of about 500 thousand computers for use by children from the most needy families. Until Aug. 25, 2020, it is necessary to fully prepare students and teachers for the remote start of the school year, conduct appropriate training for teachers, prepare the necessary content in full on Internet platforms and television. The issue of textbooks will be completed by Aug. 25. All paper versions of textbooks must be accompanied by electronic formats posted in the public domain. It is also necessary to ensure the availability and sustainability of educational resources, the quality and speed of the Internet in settlements. 

The functioning of the duty classes is associated with the age characteristics of primary school students, the beginning of the formation of skills for independent learning and self-organization. However, at the same time, sanitary security measures in schools will be maximized. Children will study in only one room, changes at different times, temperature measurement at the entrance, strengthening of ventilation, quartzing and wet cleaning modes. To organize social distancing, it is envisaged to divide into training shifts, into subgroups with no more than 10-15 children, alternating days of schooling. In addition, some of the subjects will be conducted remotely. 

As for schoolchildren in remote rural settlements with a favorable epidemiological background, they will be trained as usual. This is 4% of the total number of students. A total of 1,934 such schools have been identified with a contingent of 127 thousand children. Distance learning is just a solution to the start of the school year. In the future, depending on the steady decline in the incidence of the population, schools will gradually transition to combined and regular training formats in compliance with sanitary requirements.  The most vulnerable homeschooling groups are children with special learning needs, children from low-income families, primary school students – inclusive and accessible education will be organized for these groups of students.  At the end of the fourth quarter, proposals from teachers and students were collected. Over the summer, the Ministry of Education and Science has worked on the modernization of Internet platforms. Prepared educational material on the subjects of the first and second quarters. Each Akimat must ensure the connection of an Internet platform with streaming capability for conducting online training. Also, a lot of work has been done on content provision and preparation of TV lessons. 

Colleges will also start the new academic year remotely. The traditional format will be according to an individual schedule in the organization of industrial training, professional practice for students of first and final courses, as well as in remote colleges with a small contingent with increased sanitation.  In higher education, training will be mainly organized remotely. The traditional format will be customized for laboratory work, industrial training and professional internships.   

Nur-Sultan  The new academic year in all metropolitan educational institutions will begin in a distance format. It is planned to operate "duty classes" for students in grades 1-4 at the request of parents. In this case, all sanitary measures will be strictly observed. About 30% of teachers will go to work on a regular basis, including to teach on duty groups.  For the purchase of school supplies, each student from a low-income family will receive 40 thousand tenge. Within the framework of the universal education fund, assistance will be provided to 17 thousand children. Compared to last year, coverage was increased by 4,300 children.  This year aid increased to 40 thousand tenge. If the family, for example, has 3-4 children, then 40 thousand tenge will be allocated for each child. For these purposes, 680 million tenge was allocated from the budget, which is almost two times more than last year. In addition, a number of other social measures are also provided to low-income families.  Considering that education in schools will be conducted remotely, almost 6 billion tenge is allocated to provide schoolchildren with laptops, routers from a socially vulnerable category. Thus, computers and routers will be provided to all children from this category: children from low-income families, children with special needs, orphans, from large families. In total, coverage will be almost 34.5 thousand children.  More than 12 thousand teachers (schools, colleges, kindergarten teachers) completed online courses on organizing distance learning. Work algorithms have been developed for children, parents and kindergarten staff. All facilities have been prepared in accordance with sanitary requirements.  In addition, an electronic platform of Capital Electronic School has been developed, which contains short-term lesson plans, video lessons and classes, educational digital resources, etc. For teachers of all levels of education, there will be free access to this platform.