ChatGPT Edu in Kazakhstan: 200,000 teachers to integrate AI
Алима Муслиманова Журналист El.kz
A pilot project by the Ministry of Education is set to reach educators nationwide and transform the daily operations of schools, colleges, and kindergartens. Kazakhstan is preparing for the official launch of the ChatGPT Edu pilot program for its education system. Throughout 2026, the plan is to connect 200,000 teachers to the platform.
This initiative aligns with the national strategy for implementing AI in education, conducted under the instructions of the Head of State. The National Educational Database is being modernized on the QazTech platform to serve as a unified repository for electronic journals and digital profiles.
The new logic of the reform is immediately apparent. The goal is to move away from a fragmented set of services toward a single platform that consolidates government services and key educational processes. This is the primary purpose of the National Educational Platform currently under development. According to the Ministry’s vision, it will integrate previously siloed systems, transforming basic digital record-keeping into a system for managing data, talent, and student learning trajectories.
The ChatGPT Edu pilot itself is designed for practical application. Its objective is not merely to introduce teachers to new technology, but to provide a tool that can alleviate routine administrative burdens, accelerate lesson preparation, and support academic processes.
Under a memorandum, the Ministry of Education has been allocated 100,000 ChatGPT Edu licenses. These have been distributed among preschools, schools, and colleges. In the second half of the year, an additional 100,000 licenses are planned for another educators.
The largest share of licenses is designated for secondary education organizations. This is logical: schools remain the primary frontline of daily workloads, where teachers must manage lessons, grading, material preparation, and the endless "paperwork" routine that has long since become a "profession within a profession."
According to the developers’ vision, every teacher should have their own "smart assistant." Such a tool can prepare a lesson plan in seconds, assist with assignments and tests, and adapt materials for students.
Special emphasis is placed on linguistic flexibility. ChatGPT Edu will work with educational materials in Kazakh, Russian, and English. This is particularly vital for a system where the same educator often operates across multiple linguistic and methodological realities.
During the lesson itself, AI is intended to be used as a helper rather than a replacement for the teacher. It is expected to help explain complex topics in simple language, select real-life examples, and transform lessons from formal textbook recitations into discussions, projects, or research work.
ChatGPT Edu will be able to assist in drafting assessment criteria, performing preliminary analysis of student work, and preparing individual feedback. However, the Ministry emphasizes that the final grade will still be issued by the teacher.
For teachers, this represents both technical assistance and a new benchmark for professional development. The platform is intended to help them master modern methodologies, update curricula, and prepare instructional materials - gradually integrating digital and AI tools into their practice without the feeling that it was forced upon them overnight.
Against this backdrop, the project appears to be an attempt to rebuild the very everyday reality of the Kazakhstani school. It moves away from futuristic slogans and focuses on something every teacher understands without translation: time the one resource that is always in short supply in the profession.
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