Schools' street-side toilets to be dismantled, confirmed minister
In Kazakhstan, the ongoing issue of outdoor toilets in schools has been a topic of discussion since 2019, with a particular focus on improving school infrastructure. The Minister of Education, Ganiy Beisenbayev, has been at the forefront of this initiative, aiming to eradicate the use of outdoor toilets in schools.
In 2020, Beisenbayev publicly committed to the elimination of outdoor toilets, but progress has been uneven. The issue, particularly in rural areas, continues to be a concern, with challenges related to funding, remote locations, and bureaucratic hurdles.
A plan was drawn up at the end of 2019, which included the installation of heated toilets and additional outdoor toilets, totalling 194. However, it was reported that these planned toilets have been mothballed.
Beisenbayev has expressed concerns about Kazakhstan's image on the world stage due to the ongoing issue of outdoor toilets in schools. He has noted that the situation has significantly improved compared to the past, with more indoor than outdoor toilets in schools now. However, the minister's concerns persist as the issue has not yet been fully resolved.
To address this issue, Beisenbayev has called for the complete removal of outdoor toilets and believes they will be eliminated by the end of the year. This call comes after President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev ordered regional akims to address the toilet and CCTV issues by 2020, following a rape incident involving a 12-year-old girl near her school in Taraz in 2019.
In seeking solutions, Beisenbayev has looked to China for inspiration. He has highlighted the effectiveness of technology in controlling territories, as demonstrated by the use of electronic recognition systems in Chinese factories for employee check-ins. Myrykmbai, another government official, has suggested controlling school territories using cameras, image recognition systems, and AI, as seen in China during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Myrmbay also emphasised the importance of controlling school territories, stating that it is more important than managing random objects. This focus on technology and territory control is seen as a means to ensure the safety and well-being of students in Kazakh schools.
As the elimination of outdoor toilets in Kazakh schools continues, efforts are being made to ensure a safer and more comfortable learning environment for all students. The progress of this initiative remains a key focus for the Kazakh government, with the hope that the issue will be fully resolved by the end of the year.
- The ongoing matter of outdoor toilets in schools, a topic of debate since 2019 at the heart of school infrastructure refinement, involves significant policy-and-legislation changes and general news updates in Kazakh politics.
- In their pursuit to eradicate outdoor toilets in schools, Kazakh officials, such as Minister Beisenbayev and Myrykmbai, have looked to China for inspiration, particularly for the use of technology and territory control to ensure student safety and well-being.
