Whistleblower alleges illegal religious teaching in Kazakhstan’s secular colleges
Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Education has received a complaint from a citizen, Assel Taukhan, who raised concerns about the inclusion of majors such as Islamic studies, theology and hadith studies in the registry of technical and vocational professions.
Taukhan argues that classifying these disciplines, offered at colleges (vocational schools) and madrassas, as technical education contradicts Kazakhstan’s constitution and its law on secular education. She believes the religious nature of these subjects is incompatible with technical education and says she is prepared to file a lawsuit if her demands are not met.
The issue has drawn significant attention. Asset Mukhanbetov, head of the technical and vocational education department at the Ministry of Education, reported that the matter is already under consideration.
«The issue is on our agenda,» Mukhanbetov said. «The order [on including the listed subjects] was approved in 2018. A designated task force, along with relevant experts, is currently reviewing the possibility of removing these majors from the registry. Further details will be released after final expert examinations and evaluations are completed. The deadline is set for before the government-funded training programs for the new academic year are finalized, that is, by the end of August.»
According to Mukhanbetov, the task force is actively evaluating whether the inclusion of religious disciplines in the list of technical professions is appropriate. Following the review, a decision will be made on whether to amend the registry, potentially impacting the development of state-funded training programs for the 2025-2026 academic year.
Earlier reporting by Kursiv.media highlighted a rise in religious affiliation in Kazakhstan over the past 12 years, with 86.6% of the population identifying as religious in 2021. Islam is followed by 69.3% of the population, Christianity by 17.2%, and Buddhism and Judaism by less than 0.1% each.
