Kazakhstan Completes 'Future Schools' Project, Building 217 New Schools

Kazakhstan has successfully concluded the three-year national project "Keleşek Mektepleri" (Future Schools), a major initiative aimed at ensuring equal access to quality free education for children across the country. The project was implemented from 2023 to 2025 under the instruction of the Head of State.

The core objective was to guarantee every child access to high-standard education, regardless of their place of residence or social status. Over three years, the project created 460,000 new student places in schools built to meet international standards.

A total of 217 new schools were constructed as part of the effort. Of these, 105 were commissioned in 2024 and an additional 112 in 2025. This large-scale construction has completely resolved issues related to 52 three-shift schools and 12 dilapidated schools, while also significantly alleviating the shortage of student places in more than 100 other educational institutions.

All new schools adhere to a unified standard, whether located in the capital or remote settlements. Notably, 40% of the schools are situated in rural areas, which has substantially reduced the infrastructure gap between urban and rural education.

The educational process is already underway in 183 of these new schools, where approximately 218,000 students are enrolled and around 17,000 teachers work. A centralized management model has been introduced, forming a managerial corps of over 900 leaders.

The best practices developed within the "Future Schools" network—including its management model and infrastructure standards—are set to be scaled nationwide and will serve as a foundation for developing all schools in Kazakhstan. The I. Altynsarin National Academy of Education acts as the project operator.

A scientific and methodological support center within the academy provides methodological support for the educational process, coordinates digitalization, handles personnel selection and teacher professional development, and monitors education quality. Nationwide training seminars for about 1,700 educators have already begun, offering ongoing methodological support to school leaders and teachers.