Current issues in preschool education

The II Republican Assembly of Preschool Organization Educators was held at Kh. Dosmukhamedov Atyrau University.
The assembly was organized to discuss current issues in preschool education, ensure its innovative development, introduce new teaching methods, and enhance the professional qualifications of educators. The event was attended by representatives of the Early Childhood Development Institute of the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan, higher education institutions, education departments, and preschool organization educators.
“Today’s meeting provides an opportunity to discuss pressing issues in the field of education and exchange experiences. Preschool education and upbringing are key stages that lay a solid foundation for a child. Therefore, the professional expertise of educators working in this field is one of the main factors in raising the younger generation,” noted Salamat Idrissov, Chairman of the Board and Rector of Kh. Dosmukhamedov Atyrau University.
At the conference, presentations were made by Maria Yermanova, Director of the Early Childhood Development Institute of the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan; Gulzhanar Kubiyeva, Head of the Inclusive and Special Education Department of the Methodological Center of the Atyrau Regional Department of Education; Gulmira Mukanova, Director of the “Senim” Elite School-Kindergarten Complex; Gulbarshyn Karabasova, Director of Kindergarten No. 43 “Arman”; and Toigan Zharbosynova, Methodologist of the “Miras” Kindergarten, a branch of the NNEF Public Foundation in Atyrau. Additionally, the conference featured online participation from Elena Li, Professor of the Department of Preschool and Primary Education at Kostanay Regional University named after A. Baitursynov; Akgul Zhubandykova, Professor at the Kazakh National Women’s Pedagogical University; and Gaukhar Kiikova, President of ECERS Qazaqstan and an international expert on the quality of preschool education.
Regarding the priority areas for the development of preschool education, the Director of the Early Childhood Development Institute, Maria Yermanova, stated:
“First and foremost, one of the main priorities is ensuring the safety of a child’s life in the family and preschool institutions, as well as expanding access to preschool education and training. This will provide children with equal starting opportunities from an early age. Additionally, improving the quality of preschool education by increasing the responsibility of all participants in the educational process is also a key priority,” she said.
The speaker also noted that the “Tilge Boilau” project is currently being implemented, aimed at ensuring free oral and written expression of students’ thoughts in the Kazakh language.
During the forum, national experts and experienced professionals discussed modern methods for improving the quality of education in preschool institutions, the implementation of innovative educational programs, the development of inclusive education, and opportunities for professional growth through artificial intelligence.
“In June 2024, the “Rauan” kindergarten in Aktobe scored above the minimum quality threshold according to the ECERS system. And in January 2025, the “Akademia detstva” kindergarten became the first in Kazakhstan to achieve a score of 5.1 on ECERS,” noted the President of the ECERS Qazaqstan Association, Gaukhar Kiikova, in her report “Application of ECERS in Kindergartens of Central Asia”.
As part of the event, speakers at the forum were presented with letters of appreciation on behalf of the Chairman of the Board – Rector of Kh. Dosmukhamedov Atyrau University, Salamat Idrissov.
At the conclusion of the meeting, participants highlighted the high level of organization of the forum and shared their opinions and proposals aimed at the development of the preschool education sector.