Advancing Educational Landscape in Central Asia: The Impact of Artificial Intelligence and International Educational Trends
** livin' in the modern era: Education's shifting sands in Central Asia**
In the ever-evolving world we live in, education is no exception to the rapid changes sweeping across the globe. Rita Almeida, the boss lady of the Education Global Practice for Europe and Central Asia at the World Bank, spills the beans on how these tech-driven megatrends, frequently referred to as "life-changers," are impacting Central Asia and Kazakhstan in particular. Here's the lowdown on what she had to say in a cozy chat with The Astana Times YouTube channel.
Rita Almeida, the World Bank's edu-queen. Photo credit: The Astana Times
According to Almeida, these life-changers are casting long shadows over labor markets, economic development, and, most significantly, the education system. Almeida made it clear that the starting point for all this is demographic transition.
Gotta transition 'em all: Demographic wind-of-change
Comparing Europe and Central Asia, demographic trends are like night and day, Almeida explained. "Western Europe is getting old, with decreasing birth rates. Education systems gotta adapt to these new demographics, giving us a chance to rethink our school networks, from crowded urban schools running double shifts to underutilized rural schools," she said.
On the flip side, increasing longevity can present some kick-ass opportunities as the old-timers retire, enabling countries to completely reimagine the next-gen educator. What should they look like? What skills do they need? These transitions present challenges, yes, but also possibilities.
Kazakhstan's putting pressure on education infrastructure with more and more young 'uns jumping into the education system and the workforce. Education policy gotta respond appropriately.
Robots? More like resilience: The tech takeover
The second life-changer Almeida zeroed in on is technological transition. Automation's tossing humans out of routine jobs, leading to a serious drop in the demand for such skills. Instead, there's a growing hunger in the labor market for higher-order cognitive skills and emotional intelligence.
"Our ability to think critically, learn how to learn, communicate effectively, empathize with others, and bounce back? They're all increasingly important. These shifts have direct implications for education systems," she said.
Tech's revolutionized school management globally, too. Teachers now hang with ultra-digital platforms, which demands an entirely new set of competencies. This sets the stage for the third life-changer.
Save the planet, save your tests: Climate crisis in the classroom
Climate change and the green transition are wreaking havoc on education, including in Kazakhstan. Last year's floods are a case in point, putting a serious strain on both government resources and school infrastructure.
"This put the squeeze on the resilience of our schools - how we keep kids safe, take care of their teachers, and keep education going despite shocks," Almeida said.
But the green transition also brings fresh demand for skills in renewable energy, electric vehicles, logistics, recycling, and waste management. "These are entirely new competencies. Education systems gotta adapt to prepare kids for these new industries," Almeida emphasized.
Breaking free: The middle-income trap and Kazakhstan
Almeida connected these life-changers to the broader yoke of the middle-income trap, as outlined in the World Development Report 2024. She highlighted the opportunities for Central Asia – and Kazakhstan in particular – to use these life-changers to spur more inclusive and sustainable growth.
"The report highlights two essential transitions for countries moving from middle- to high-income status. The first involves absorbing foreign knowledge, ideas, and technologies – we call it 'importing them.' The second is innovation – empowering local economies to create new research, products, and processes," she said.
Almeida underlined that investment in human capital, particularly education, is essential for making these transitions.
"Education and learning? They're the strongest drivers of growth," she noted.
She cited South Korea, Poland, and Estonia as countries that killed it with smart education investments alongside broader reforms. Kazakhstan? It's at a similar stage as Turkey, with a Purchasing Power Parity-adjusted income of around $10,000.
"This raises some big questions for Kazakhstan: What does it take to diversify the economy and boost productivity? Education and human capital gotta be central to the answer," she said.
According to the World Bank's Human Capital Index, a kid born in Kazakhstan today will achieve only 63% of their potential productivity by age 18.
"That means we're tossing out nearly 30% of potential productivity due to education and health access and quality woes," Almeida explained.
Still, Almeida stays optimistic, recognizing that Kazakhstan's already investing big in education: "The awesome news is that we know what works. It's all about keeping our eyes on the prize and staying committed."
AI and the classroom of the future: More hype or hope?
Can't talk education without discussing AI, Almeida shared. AI's transforming education systems in Europe and Central Asia, offering possibilities to boost learning outcomes but also presenting risks that gotta be carefully managed.
"The good news is that we already have some handy AI interventions that have proven themselves. The best thing we can do now is keep pouring resources into research and monitoring to figure out what truly works," she said.
Almeida warned against running headfirst into the AI craze. She shared her own take, highlighting that with all these fancy tech buzzwords like ed-tech solutions and artificial intelligence, folks can get carried away and feel pressured to hop on the bandwagon.
"It's important first to ask yourself a series of questions: Why do I need this? What do I hope to achieve? Do I wanna improve service delivery in my education system? Do I wanna streamline school management? Do I wanna enhance pedagogies in the classroom? Do I wanna use AI to improve learning outcomes, discipline, and critical thinking skills? Why do I need it? Because technology itself is worthless on its own," she said.
"So, perhaps start with why. I think that's an important starting point. The other thing is, as we experiment with fresh approaches in the system, I think we gotta keep monitoring, evaluating, and testing their impacts. The evidence shows that tech can actually have very positive effects," she said.
Almeida pointed out that AI-powered tools like SMS alerts for school administrators, online tutoring, and personalized learning apps show promise, but most of these interventions are small-scale and tailored to specific groups.
"The big challenge for policymakers is scalability. How do we take something that works for a hundred schools and make it work for ten thousand without losing effectiveness or blowing up costs?" she said.
Almeida stressed the importance of enabling conditions like internet access, teacher training, and IT support in schools. She mentioned that "one laptop per child," while seeming genius on paper, flopped in practice in many countries because governments focused on hardware but neglected infrastructure and capacity-building.
Estonia's example and Kazakhstan's path forward
When asked if she could name any examples of countries in Europe or Central Asia that have successfully harnessed the potential of AI in their school systems, she said Estonia is tops.
"It's totally nailed deployment at scale and achieved a major transformation of the education system, not only in terms of managing the system but also introducing cutting-edge technology into it. But I also gotta say that the transformation goes beyond just the education system, affecting many other public services, too. It's been a huge investment at the national level, but that's probably one of the best examples," she concluded.
Kazakhstan, like many middle-income countries, stands at a crossroads. The life-changers of demography, technology, climate, and AI ain't future risks – they're already here. As Rita Almeida emphasized, education systems gotta adapt to thrive. The cool news is that Kazakhstan's already laid the groundwork. Post-COVID-19, there's been an improvement in science results, resilient students, and relatively small achievement gaps between urban and rural schools and between socio-economic groups.
So, what happens next depends on how Kazakhstan chooses to invest in its people, its most valuable asset for long-term growth.
- The demographic dynamics in Europe and Central Asia present both challenges and opportunities, as countries like Kazakhstan experience an influx of young people into the education system and workforce, necessitating appropriate responses from education policy.
- Technological transitions are influencing labor markets by automating routine jobs and increasing the demand for higher-order cognitive skills and emotional intelligence. Education systems must adapt to foster these essential skills in students.
- The green transition and climate crisis also impact education, particularly in Kazakhstan, where infrastructure is under strain due to natural disasters like floods. Simultaneously, there is a growing demand for skills in renewable energy, electric vehicles, logistics, recycling, and waste management, whicheducation systems must address to prepare students for the future workforce.
