The SKRI begins research work together with UNESCO
The Sustainable Kazakhstan Research Institute begins research work together with UNESCO and the National Academy of Education on how to Integrate the Sustainable Development Goals into Current and Future Educational Reforms in Kazakhstan
The Ministry of Education has launched a series of educational measures to update the primary and secondary educational system in Kazakhstan. By 2025, they plan of update and finalize the school education standards for the phased implementation of 12-year education. To align with these changes there is currently a review of educational content and programs, methods and approaches to learning and education. Consequentially, updated educational content will be added for the development of pupils with functional literacy and competitiveness in all aspects of life including national and universal values. The values, skills and competencies in subject fields will be added. These values and skills will be defined in the curriculum that teaches the subject, the subject curriculum is the basis of the standard curriculum. Moreover, the government of Kazakhstan signed on to and promotes the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals until 2030, including Goal 4.7 ensuring that all learners acquire the knowledge, skills and values needed to contribute to sustainable development. There has also been a recent initiative to create a Council on Environmental Education whose goal is the integrate sustainability in educational curricula among others. (August 2020) As a result, the Sustainable Kazakhstan Research Institute and UNESCO has been asked by the Academy of Education to support them on analyzing and integrating values, skills and concepts linked with the 2030 Agenda into these reforms currently underway. This is a unique opportunity with political support to have a lasting impact on the educational curricula of Kazakhstan and consequentially future generations of pupils in their contribution and commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals.
Current Status The Sustainable Kazakhstan Research Institute at Narxoz University has begun working withUNESCO and the Academy of Education to review the educational curricula and propose changes that integrate values, skills and knowledge linked with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (Sustainable Development Goals) into these ongoing educational reforms. After the analysis is complete the aim is to develop new curricula content to be integrated into ongoing educational reforms. Afterwards didactical materials and trainings for teachers will be formulated to support the new curricula. On November 6th, Ms. Meirgul Alpysbayeva, Education National Professional Officer at UNESCO Almaty Cluster Office, together with the Director Dr. Brendan Duprey of the SKRI at Narxoz University conducted a Webinar for senior staff from the National Academy of Education and the Ministry of Education of Kazakhstan on ‘How to Integrate the Sustainable Development Goals into Current and Future Educational Reforms in Kazakhstan’. This is the first steps in a year long collaboration between the Sustainable Kazakhstan Research Institute, UNESCO, and the Academy of Education to mainstream the SDGs into formal educational policy.