Stakeholders’ perceptions of the quality of education in rural schools in Kazakhstan

Since its independence in 1991, Kazakhstan has initiated major reforms to upgrade its education system. However, significant disparities exist in the quality of educational provision in rural and urban schools. Approximately 57% of schools are rural schools which face shortcomings such as declining achievements and completion rates, lack of school infrastructure, shortage of qualified teachers, and high drop-out rates compared to urban schools (43%). This study explores how key stakeholders—school leaders, teachers, students, parents, and education managers—perceive the quality of education in rural schools in Kazakhstan. It presents the stakeholders’ vision, priorities, and aspirations of quality of education, as well as the opportunities, resources, and support available to them, and the gaps and challenges they face in achieving the quality of education they aspire for. The study also makes recommendations for enhancing the quality of education in these schools.
Keywords: quality; rural; school; Kazakhstan; stakeholders; inequality