First-Grade Enrollment Deadline Nears: Ministry of Education Urges Parents to Complete Registration

The campaign to register first-grade students across Kazakhstan is entering its final stretch. According to the Ministry of Education, over 380,000 children are expected to start school this academic year, with nearly 320,000 pupils—roughly 84% of the projected total - already officially enrolled.

Approximately 296,000 children are entering public schools, while around 23,000 will attend private institutions. Urban schools have registered nearly 191,000 pupils, compared to over 128,000 in rural areas. Furthermore, almost 4,000 children with special educational needs have been admitted to educational organizations.

More than 71% of incoming first-graders selected Kazakh-medium instruction, over 26% chose Russian, and around 2.5% opted for other languages. Notably, over 2,000 non-native Kazakh children have enrolled in Kazakh-language classes.

Turkistan Region leads in projected enrollment with over 50,000 children, followed by Almaty Region (35,000+), Astana (33,000), Almaty city (31,000+), and Shymkent (29,000+).

Applications remain open until August 31, 2026. Nearly 84% of parents have submitted their paperwork digitally via the eGov.kz portal or the eGov Mobile app.

The Ministry of Education reminds parents to complete registration promptly before the deadline expires.