This is a translation of an excerpt from Ksenia’s post in Russian.

The Kazakhstani children have entered the new school year with ambitious novelties: more Internet access and 1,000 “interactive blackboards” – everything necessary for the new era education. However, the main problems occur in the very elementary basics.

Many pupils are starting the year without textbooks. In schools, only two-three books are given for the whole class. Indignant parents receive no legible explanation in schools and don’t know what to do. Buying textbooks is quite challenging. Each book costs 400-500 tenge, so the whole set of books will be a serious blow for an average family budget. The situation is aggravated by the fact that not all necessary textbooks are in the bookstores.

The authorities, namely the education department of the city administration says there is no problem at all: according to the governmental decree, the textbooks are given firstly to the kids from the families having many children and from the socially vulnerable families. Others have to buy the textbooks [although the secondary education is officially free of charge]. The authorities also recommend nurturing careful attitude to the books among the pupils. However, it is apparent that in order to look after the books, the one should get it first.