Astana [Kazakhstan], August 27 : Kazakhstan must build an education system that produces confident, forward-looking young people equipped to navigate the digital economy, while moving away from narratives centred on historical grievances, the country's President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said at the annual August Conference of Teachers.
According to Qazinform News Agency, Tokayev on Wednesday outlined key priorities for Kazakhstan's education system, stressing the need to simultaneously ensure quality education, develop self-confident individuals and prepare young people to take advantage of emerging opportunities in the digital economy.
Among the key priorities, Tokayev called for the continued construction of high-quality schools across Kazakhstan, particularly in regions facing shortages of school places.
"This is a pressing task of national importance. From next year, it is necessary to begin this work without any delays. Next year, we must ensure rapid construction," he instructed.
The President also cautioned against implementing reforms simply for the sake of change and called for a more rigorous assessment of proposed changes in the education sector.
"We must stop empty, content-free reforms done for the sake of reforms. In other words, reforms and changes are certainly indispensable, but they should not drain all the strength and stress out of teachers. Before implementing each reform - and this applies especially to education - we must conduct a comprehensive analysis and thoroughly verify it is effective," Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said.
The Kazakh President also called for teachers to be freed from excessive paperwork, intrusive certification procedures and responsibilities unrelated to education.
"Reports keep coming in about teachers being pulled into repair work and various public events that have nothing to do with the learning process. We agreed long ago that this is unacceptable. The Ministry of Enlightenment and regional akimats must focus on improving the legal and regulatory framework, building an effective learning process, and carefully analysing curricula," he noted.
A significant part of Tokayev's address focused on the role of education in shaping the country's younger generation.
He said teachers should help cultivate confident young people who are capable of overcoming challenges rather than being consumed by pessimism or grievances.
"It is the duty of teachers to nurture new generations of optimists - not those consumed by sorrow, insecure, and spreading seeds of depression. We are a nation of winners, ready to overcome all difficulties and threats, looking confidently only forward, believing in a bright future - not searching for the causes of tragedies, defeats, failures, or psychological complexes in our historical past or in other states and peoples," President Tokayev emphasised.
Tokayev also called for greater scrutiny of educational materials, saying that unreliable facts and mythologised historical figures should not be used in teaching.
"Raising children in a spirit of patriotism by spreading false, fabricated information will inevitably undermine the moral backbone of our people. I have said many times that we must abandon the image and character of an eternally grieving nation. Sorrow is a bad companion for our youth. I can tell you that for sure. Our young people must understand their people's history correctly and look to the future with hope and confidence," Kassym-Jomart Tokayev underscored.
The President also called on the Government to accelerate legislation aimed at banning children under 16 from social media. A corresponding bill was submitted to Parliament in June, according to Qazinform News Agency.
He further called for stronger content filtering and said that parental responsibility alone cannot be relied upon to protect children online.
Tokayev also supported expanding the use of mandatory children's SIM cards as a means of developing what he described as "informational immunity".
Looking ahead to Kazakhstan's digital transformation, Tokayev said young people, including those living in rural areas, should be encouraged to use digital technologies and artificial intelligence as tools for generating income.
"We are to transition from a digital state to a digital people's economy. In other words, artificial intelligence and its tools are not fun toys - they are means of making a living. That is how it should be. In higher education, an inter-university standard already exists that addresses the ethical, legal, and organisational aspects of AI use. The Government must introduce a similar standard in secondary and vocational education," the President instructed.
Tokayev said the issue of preparing young people for the opportunities and challenges created by AI would also feature in his upcoming State of the Nation Address.
The President's address placed education at the centre of Kazakhstan's efforts to shape a modern society, with emphasis on improving school infrastructure, reducing the administrative burden on teachers, strengthening children's digital protection and equipping young people with the confidence and skills needed to participate in the emerging digital economy.