Kazakh expands e-learning

ASTANA – Kazakhstan will expand its pilot e-learning program to 537 schools this academic year, Prime Minister Karim Massimov announced June 22 on his website.

The expansion comes after 44 schools last year participated in a pilot programme that called for broader use of learning through computers.

“The e-learning concept is upgraded taking into consideration the results of the global practices and pilot project. 90% of schools will be embraced by the project by 2020,” Minister of Education and Science of Kazakhstan Bakhytzhan Zhumagulov said during a meeting of the lower house of parliament, the Majilis.

The e-learning initiative calls for deploying a Wi-Fi network to the schools and providing modern laptops and tablet PCs for the children. Already, 98% of urban schools and 97% of rural schools have internet access, Massimov’s website reported.