KARAGANDA. Kazakhstan -- Karaganda Governor Yerlan Koshanov promised to tackle education issues in the province during a report to the public Friday (February 23), Kazinform reported.
"We've decided to focus on the problems of education this year -- lack of slots [for children] in kindergartens, [the need to operate] classes in three shifts and school buildings in an advanced state of disrepair," the governor said, adding that 72% of school buildings in the province were constructed before 1980.
The province has allocated more than 5 billion KZT ($15.6 million) in the 2018 budget to repair 132 educational institutions. The construction of three new schools in Temirtau, Aktogai and Ulytau districts will also improve the situation, he said.
Public-private partnerships are helping develop the province's pre-school education, said Koshanov.
Earlier this week, Kazakhstan's Ministry of Education and Science announced the construction of 300 new schools across the country to meet growing demand.
Construction of more schools in rural areas is especially important, Education Minister Yerlan Sagadiyev said at a meeting of ministry staff Tuesday (February 20).
