Every 15th Public School In Kazakhstan Has No Principal
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Kazakhstan plans to soften requirements for school principal candidates amid a continuing shortage of staff, especially in rural areas, Orda.kz reports.
Deputies raised the issue in a request to the government. They said 454 principal positions remain vacant in public schools, or 6.5% of all schools.
In fact, every 15th school does not have a head. In international practice, a level of 1–3% is already considered sensitive, while more than 5% requires systemic solutions,the deputies said.
The shortage is most acute in rural schools, which account for 399 of the 454 vacancies. The highest number of vacant positions was recorded in the Akmola region, with 63, followed by North Kazakhstan region with 56 and Karaganda region with 49.
Deputies said many teachers are reluctant to become principals because the responsibility is higher while the salary can be lower than that of an ordinary teacher.
They also noted that the absence of principals weakens teaching teams and affects education quality. According to data presented at an Education Ministry board meeting, only 21% of candidates for school principal positions passed the test in 2025.
The government said the shortage has been gradually decreasing. In 2024, 935 principal positions were vacant, compared with 830 in 2025.
The Education Ministry is now preparing amendments to qualification requirements. The required qualification category may be lowered from “expert teacher” to “teacher-moderator,” while the required teaching experience may be reduced from five to three years.
The authorities have also created a national personnel reserve for school principals. Over three years, 927 managers have completed the program, including 777 deputy principals and 150 teachers.
Candidates from the reserve can be appointed to management positions without competitive procedures, allowing schools to respond more quickly to staffing needs, the government said.
The government also noted that salaries for some categories of civil servants increased by an average of 20% annually from 2022 to 2025. However, a moratorium on new initiatives requiring additional budget spending will remain in place until the end of 2028.
Original author: Daria Malkova
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