2010 Intel ISEF Educator Academy

Team members

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Nurgali ArshabekovHead of K-12 department of

Ministry of Science and Education of Kazakhstan

Askar AryngazinDirector,

Institute for Basic Research, Eurasian National University, Kazakhstan

Isa BaitullinNational Academy of

Sciences of Kazakhstan

Anastasiya PrychynenkoIntel ISEF coordinator in Ukraine, Belarus and Kazakhstan

Educational EnvironmentOver 180.000 teachers employed in the public sector (2006) and 1.874.100 students constitute the ratio of 1:10 in Kazakhstan.Compulsory school age is 7-17. Compulsory school is organized in a two tier system. Approx. 773.000 students are currently enrolled in the KZ higher education system; about 51% of pupils go on to higher education. Higher education is one of the top policy priorities for the government.

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Maths & Science are compulsory subjects in the national curriculum to age 17;

National Curriculum defines graduation requirements;

University entrance is determined by National Test taken at age 17.

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Educational Environment

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Countries/Territories

EDI TotalprimaryNER

Adultliteracyrate

Gender specificEFA index(GEI)

Survivalrate tograde 5

Kazakhstan

1 23 21 7 3

Japan 2 7 1 10 33

Germany 3 3 28 1 20

Norway 4 33 1 4 5

United Kingdom

5 8 14 19 20

Italy 6 15 34 12 11

Denmark 7 27 1 13 20

Education Development Index by UNESCO, 2006

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Country 1995, average score

s.e. 2007, average score

s.e.

TIMSS average 500 0.0 500 0.0 Hong Kong SAR1 557 4.0 607 3.6 Singapore 590 4.5 599 3.7 Chinese Taipei — † 576 1.7 Japan 567 1.9 568 2.1Kazakhstan 2 — † 549 7.1 Russian Federation — † 544 4.9 England 484 3.3 541 2.9Latvia2 499 4.6 537 2.3 Netherlands3 549 3.0 535 2.1 Lithuania2 — † 530 2.4 United States4,5 518 3.0 529 2.4 Germany — † 525 2.3Denmark4 — † 523 2.4 Australia 495 3.4 516 3.5 Hungary 521 3.6 510 3.5 Italy — † 507 3.1 Austria 531 2.9 505 2.0 Sweden — † 503 2.5

Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) Tests average mathematics scoresof fourth-grade students, by country in 2007 place

Kazakhstan students 5th in the list of about 40 tested countries:

Science FairsSince 1996, there have been fairs for a national scientific

practical center Daryn, including activities, conferences, Olympiads, and the judging of projects.

Funding came mostly from the government, coordinated through Daryn center.

This included the annual conference “Opening world of Science”, annual nationwide 5-stage Olympiad in 14 subjects for 9, 10, and 11 grade students (about 500,000 participants), the annual judging of projects, Ak Bota intellectual marathon, math game Kangoroo, and Olympiads in Radioelectronics (held in 2006, 2007).

16 Regional Fairs feed into the National Fair. In 2006, Kazakhstan hosted 7th Asian Physics Olympiad

for pre-university or senior high school students.Kazakhstan will host International Mathematics

Olympiad 2010 gathering students from more than 100 countries.

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Science FairsSome obstacles faced in Kazakhstan: Resist tendency of simplifying curriculum, to provide fundamental scientific knowledge.

We are observing tendency to simplify curriculum as compared to standards of the previous system, which gave priority to intense math and fundamental aspects of science. This influences on general level of projects presented at fairs.

Higher level of secured fundingAs the national science fairs have became high

motivation for students we are worrying about sufficient level of secured funding of science fairs.

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