New Horizons for Learning: Education in Kazakstan

Brief Information on the
Research Information Centre for Civic Education
Why our organization was established in Kazakstan

After having gained independence, Kazakstan expressed its firm intention in building a democratic state. In the course of the first five years of independence Kazakstan has realized important reforms in economics, finance, management and marketing. Undoubtedly economic reforms are a vital and integral part of market changes whereas development of the democratic state is in direct dependence on citizen participation and it is fully determined by this phenomenon.
In the system of commonly acknowledged values human rights and freedoms play important role in building a civic society.
The problem of renovation of modern content of education with essential values oriented at education of free people with initiative, who can make decisions and carry responsibility for it, has emerged as an acute one, since educational institutions either facilitate or hinder development of citizens.
What do we have now? The system of public education cannot catch up with rapid changes in the society. Today Kazakstan has neither the experience of teaching democratic values, nor research schools, reconsidered content, methods, educational materials based on both world and local reality. The problem of training and retraining of educators in terms of civic education of a young generation needs serious solution and reconsideration in this new situation.
Ignoring this fact can only help in keeping traditions of totalitarian ideology in our schools. In most of our schools a command-administrative style of communication takes place.
The world community has accumulated enough experience in civic education. The most vivid example is USA. Thinking over this experience seems to be a necessary component in renovation of our education and development of civic society in Kazakstan in general. All said, the above speaks for the importance of setting up a Research Information Centre on development of curricula on civic education in Kazakstan.
Founders of the NGO

In November 1996 a creative initiative group of educators-researchers who have developed extensive professional experience working in various fields of education, who also obtained their research degrees ( Ed.M, Ph.D.) in their home country and in the USA had created the "Research information centre on civic education" a non-governmental and not for profit office, which was officially registered in January 8, 1997
The major goal of it is promoting the democratization of the system of education in Kazakstan by means of developing and implementing of educational materials and curricula on civic education at various stages of life-long education. The Centre will help university professors and students as well as pre-school and high school educators to effectively teach and develop in people values of civic society.
The basic tasks of the centre:

conduct research in the field of civic education;
elaboration, publishing and dissemination of educational materials;
preparation of the seminars, round table discussions, conferences and trainings on the problem of civic education;
setting up contacts with international educational institutions and non-governmental organizations;
obtaining and dissemination of printed and other materials aimed at civic education.
After the stage of being set up and given impulse for development the centre will function on self-funding basis.

Activity of the Center:
The Center started work on elaboration of the Guidelines on Civic Education in Secondary Schools, which will be published in an nation-wide newspaper for criticism and discussion.
During the school year six informational bulletins on different aspects of civic education will be published.
At university level the Center has designed educational curricula and launched a special course for future teachers on civic education.
On January 15-17, 1998 the conference on interaction of governmental offices and NGOs in development of civic education was held under leadership of the Center
What is planned: Establishment of the resource library on civic education for school teachers and university students in Almaty.
Networking and organizational work on establishment of a teacher association for civic education.
The expected outcomes and evaluation of the project:
In the course of work educational materials, curricula for pre-school, elementary, high school, university and post-graduate level will be worked out. All materials will be tested and evaluated by scholars, teachers and students.

About the Association of Young Leaders

The Association of Young Leaders is a public, non-partisan, non-governmental and nonprofit youth organization. Its goal is to assist young people in personal development, forming the skills of civilized leadership and partnership, and a responsible approach to their lives as active citizens of the Republic of Kazakstan. It teaches young people of above thirteen years of age skills and knowledge necessary to reach mutual understanding, conflict resolution and problem solving, citizen competence and decision making.
There are two inseparably linked programs of the AYL work:

the leadership program
the civic education program.
The active participants and workers of the programs are the students of secondary and postsecondary schools, teachers, and pedagogues in teacher training institutes.
In its activity the AYL:

Develops the leader's skills, which are necessary for the better adaptation and self development of teenagers in a community;
Gives to the young people the practice of associating in a democratic environment and to assist in creating their own community. This way increases the personal students' contacts, which help them to find new friends not only in their own town but in many others from different regions of Kazakstan, Russia, and far abroad;
Prepares the environment for growing up to participate in civic and business life in Kazakstan society;
Gives assistance to educational institutions in assimilating and utilizing new methods in democratic education;
Prepares young people for a life of active citizens and participants of social and political life of their country.
The program is a combination of different new and well-known methods, elements of psychological training, games, tests, practical lessons, creative tasks and group discussions.

The program is carried out through training in small groups of 8-10 students (or adults) or big sessions of 100-200 people.
Once a month on Sunday meetings with the elements of basic program are held.
For assimilation of all volume of Leadership preparation the Association holds several days' conferences.
The group trainings are carried out by the student-trainers, who act as group leaders.

The main principle of the AYL's work is "The Youth Teach the Youth".
More than 1500 young people and teachers from 12 regions of Kazakstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tagikistan have completed the leadership training program
One of the areas of leadership program is the organization of Student Councils assistance in their work.
The AYL conducts special trainings in leadership and Civic Education programs for teachers and educational officers, in order to assist them in developing the elements of such programs in their schools - in Student Council's work, leadership and civic education lessons.
The AYL has prepared and published the following handbooks and manuals:

"21 Leadership Lessons"
"The Leadership Lessons in Elementary school"
"101 ways of developing students' self-esteem and responsibility" by Jack Canfield and Frank Siccone (part 1 )
"United Class. United School. United World", a handbook for Students' Councils

Only a few adults work in the Association as coordinators. They help to develop and propagate the programs, to find new contacts and direction of activities.
The Association of Young Leaders works in a close collaboration with a great number of local and foreign NGOs, the Ministry of Science and New Technologies, the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Kazakstan, and the Republic and the City Teacher Training Institutes.
The AYL trainers conduct workshops for NGOs of Kazakstan and NIS on democratic leadership and "NGO and environment".
Plans of the AYL in the near future include trainings for adults, in particular heads of organizations, on different forms of property. The aim of such trainings are practical assistance in management, teambuilding, successful work, and development of the personal qualities and skills of a leader.
For more information or to collaborate with the Association, contact:
ASSOCIATION OF YOUNG LEADERS
Natalia Bakhmutova
Executive Director and National Coordinator of
Leadership Program in Kazakstan
Maxim Gainutdinov The President
ASSOCIATION OF YOUNG LEADERS
480009, 175 Kurmangazy Str.
app.43, Almaty, Kazakstan.
Phone (3272) 435316, 538493, 420468
Fax (3272) 435316
E-mail: nat@leader.almaty.kz

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