Social networks have shown extremely negative perception of how Ministry of Enlightenment fails to control the activities of foreign organizations in our schools

The Alem Research analytics company produced another rating of the ministers, based on the monitoring of Mass Media and social networks in June 2023.

The monitoring exercise showed that the Minister of Enlightenment was the second most popular person referred to in Mass Media and social networks, after the Minister of Ecology. Not to say, that it was a foreseen result, but not unexpected either, although this year we have seen less criticism in regards to the Uniform National Testing process, compared to the previous years. Nevertheless, social networks reacted actively to some situations, that Minister Gani Beysembayev could have prevented.

Minister’s Sauna

In early June, social networks continued to criticize the Ministry for the decision to extend the academic year and postpone the date of the Closing Bell. That topic was about to fade away from the focus of the public attention, when the Minister of Enlightenment, driven by the best considerations, of no doubt, added momentum to it. During a conference of the Project Office of Development of the National Qualification System, journalists asked a question about what to expect in the next academic year. Minister said it was pre-mature to discuss that, as the experts were still in process of analysis of the matter, base on which they would produce their solution. Even if the final verdict is not comfortable to somebody, experts know better and they work to improve the quality of education for our children. It was then that Kazakh users of Internet began to ask questions. Based on Minister’s answer, it appears that the academic year of 2022-2023 was extended without the prior analytics of all consequences and implications – only by sheer reference to some “global experience”.

Social networks issued their final verdict – Gani Beysembayev, just like his predecessors continues to run experiments with our children. Social network only grew more confident, when the National Testing process began. In some regions of the country, the temperature grew up to 40 degree Celsius, but local Education Directorates did not even mention the possible postponing. Neither did so the Ministry.

Parents of the graduates showed indignation – “If Beysembayev has an air-conditioner in his office, that does not mean, that every class-room has”.

Internet users quirked – “People in the Ministry are sincerely sure that all schools in this country have all it takes to maintain comfortable microclimate and they probably have all documents confirming that”.

Eventually, the Minister was offered to run a scientific experiment – go to sauna, increase temperature up to 40 degree Celsius and spend five hours there. He was allowed not to have to resolve academic tests. The critics of the ruling regime wrote that the Minister and his colleagues had lost connection with reality and made decisions based on fancy reports.

Who Rules in the Ministry

Alem Research analysts report that the most active reaction was showed in regards to a journey of Kazakh pupils to Crimea. In May, it became known that 10 pupils from Kazakhstan won a Russian International Cooperation Agency’s eloquence contest and travelled to Crimea for 24 days.

The topic got heated up by the anti-Russian segment of social networks and Kazakh sector of the Internet supported that. First of all, Crimea gets bombarded every now and then. Secondly, the position of the Minister looked a bit odd. First, the Ministry declared they had not been aware, and the journey was an initiative from the parents. 

When the children returned, the blame was put on the shoulders of the teacher, who was in charge of the Kazakh delegation. The Minister announced ban on departures of children abroad without appropriate permissions from the Ministry and the Committee on Protection of the Rights of Children.

“We got questions” – Kazakh social networks said.

How come, that Russian International Cooperation Agency withdrew Kazakh pupils from the common academic process, and did so closer to the end of the academic year, thus undermining the educational process?

The opinion expressed by social networks was as follows: Ministry of Enlightenment officials do now know the reality in regions, which ignorance helps foreign organizations to freely operate in our schools, or the Ministry did OK the journey, thus being toady to Russia.  And we do now know, which one of the options is worse.

Alem Research declare that results are based purely on the monitoring of social networks and Mass Media. Analytics may not be used to evaluate the performance of the top-ranking servants. That is why, the company does not assume responsibility for any interpretations and speculations.