The History of the Development of Education in the Czech Republic and Kazakhstan (1990-1999): A Comparative Historical Analysis

Abstract

The objective of the article is to examine patterns of similarities and differences across educational reforms in the Czech Republic and Kazakhstan in post-socialist context. The study conducted a comparative-historical analysis of the development of education systems in Kazakhstan and the Czech Republic in the 1990s when there was a transition of these countries from the socialist to the capitalist regime. The comparative historical analysis of the educational reforms of these two countries identified a number of similar patterns and considerable differences in the development of their education systems due to many contextual and structural factors and historical prerequisites. The comparative analysis demonstrated that both in the educational systems of the Czech Republic and Kazakhstan democratization, humanization and differentiation were taken as main principles of the reforms, but these processes developed in the different level and directions. As a result, it was stated that both the Czech Republic and Kazakhstan intended to democratize educational systems in post-socialist context. While the Czech Republic tended to decentralize and diversify the school system, delegating the practical implementation of educational policies to various organizations and lobbying groups, however, Kazakhstan maintains a highly centralized system from top to bottom, which leaves little administrative, financial, managerial, executive authority for the low structures of the state apparatus and the public, which limits the system to strict planning and standards.