Kazakh schoolchildren to study digital literacy starting first grade

Kazakh schoolchildren to study digital literacy starting first grade

A new subject will be introduced for first-graders in Kazakhstan. Schoolchildren will begin studying digital literacy from the third term of the current academic year.

“As we know, our first graders are very curious. Even children at an early age, preschoolers skillfully use various mobile apps, smartphones, and, of course, computer equipment. They can easily turn on the computer on their own and start watching their favorite cartoon or an educational film. Of course, digital security and digital hygiene are a prerequisite in these educational programs. And starting literally from the first grade, all of these things are being worked out within the curriculum,” said Gulmira Karimova, spokesperson for Kazakh Ministry of Education and Science.

According to Kazakh Ministry of Education and Science, the curricula of the subjects ‘Information and Communication Technologies’ for the fourth grade and ‘Informatics’ for grades five to 11 were revised. They were updated to provide children with quality and up-to-date IT knowledge. Various programming languages will be taught as part of the school curriculum, including Python, which is among the most popular ones. In addition to that, children in grades five to nine will study 3D modeling and 3D printing.

 

Translation by Assem Zhanmukhanova

Editing by Galiya Khassenkhanova