How Rurality Affects Students’ Higher Education Access in Kazakhstan

Abstract

In this paper, I address the issues of rural disadvantage in accessing higher education. Taking an autoethnographic approach and building on research on rural education, which has shown that geography is an important stratifier of educational outcomes, I reflect on the factors that helped me to access higher education despite my rural background in Kazakhstan. I argue that the role of students’ social capital in accessing higher education is critical.

Stakeholders’ perceptions of the quality of education in rural schools in Kazakhstan

“…Participants stated that the infrastructure was in an even worse condition in rural schools further away from the regional centers. Similar observations about poor infrastructure and shortage of resources in rural schools in Kazakhstan and other developing countries have been shared by other researchers (Amankulova, 2018; Chankseliani et al, 2020; Jaidakpayeva, 2014; Kurmangalieva & Abdrakhmanova, 2012).…”