The main session of the Unified National Testing (UNT) concluded last week, covering 233,000 applicants. Experts are proposing a ban on social media for children and the creation of an accessible online preparation platform to improve test results, reports infohub.kz.
Violations during the UNT have risen noticeably in recent years, from 596 to 890. Applicants have become inventive, trying to sneak in cheat sheets and prohibited items such as smartwatches and phones.
“There was an attempt to smuggle a phone in an elastic band, and one girl tried to bring in a phone. Another boy attempted to bring a cheat sheet. There was also a case where a short girl came in size 43 shoes, hiding a smartphone,” said Nauzhan Didarbekova, deputy director of the National Testing Center.
However, applicants also have questions for the ministry.
Over the past four years, the average UNT score has dropped from 73 to 69. According to experts, there are several reasons: changes in question structure, a persistent gap in education quality between cities and rural areas, and reduced concentration due to social media.
“We see in our own children and nephews a lack of attention to certain subjects, and to studying in general. Social media has become a trigger for all this. It’s hard for most children now to sit for 1–2 hours focusing deeply on a subject. This is a global trend,” noted Yerlan Serekbayev, head of the association of school directors.
The speaker believes the preparation system needs improvement: creating an online platform for UNT preparation accessible to all students, and enhancing teacher qualifications. He emphasized that it’s important not to chase indicators but to delve deeper into topics.