The results of the PISA 2022 international study for Kazakhstan have yielded both positive and negative conclusions. Aliya Bizhanova, an education expert and doctoral candidate at the University of Michigan, provides a detailed overview:

46th Place

Kazakhstan’s position among participants is 46 out of 81. In previous years, we were 69 out of 79. Our ranking improved due to the expanded test geography and the fact that other countries fared worse in learning losses due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Our results are as follows:

• Mathematics: 425 points (OECD average: 472)
• Reading: 386 points (OECD average: 476)
• Science: 423 points (OECD average: 485)

Our results are comparable to Greece, Romania, Mongolia, Panama, Malaysia, and Saudi Arabia. A 40-point difference is equivalent to one year of education. Reading is the weakest element of our education system, lagging behind OECD countries by more than 2 years.

Little Change

Kazakhstan’s overall results have hardly changed compared to previous years (2012 and 2018). This is both good and bad news. It’s good because, despite the challenges of online learning during the pandemic and significant learning losses, Kazakhstan managed to maintain pre-pandemic results. It’s bad because, while other countries improved their results, our education system failed to show statistically significant improvements, except in the natural sciences.

Positive Aspect: Managing Social Differences

The Kazakhstani education system effectively handles socio-economic differences among students. We rank third among countries with minimal differences in students’ socio-economic-cultural status—3.9% compared to the OECD average of 15.5%. Our resilient students, with stable academic achievements, are 16.8%, compared to the OECD average of 10.2%.

Opportunity Equality Lags

The gap between successful and lagging students is relatively high, indicating a shortfall in the principle of equal opportunities. The system emphasizes gifted children but does not provide enough chances for lagging students to improve their results. The percentage of successful Kazakhstani children showing high-level knowledge (Level 5 or 6 in PISA) is 2.2%, compared to the OECD average of 13.7%. The percentage of underperforming Kazakhstani students in all three areas is 32.8%, compared to the OECD average of 16.4%. This is a significant gap that policymakers should consider.

Regional Disparities

There remains a considerable gap between regions. For example, the gap in math results between students in Almaty and Astana compared to those in the Turkestan region is equivalent to 1.5 years of education (a difference of 64 points). In reading, the difference in results between the Kostanay and Turkestan regions is 2 years (80 points).