The President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has expressed dissatisfaction with the quality of school textbooks and demanded that materials containing inaccurate historical facts be reviewed. The head of state also criticised the excessive focus on the theme of sorrow in literature and culture.
WHAT THE PRESIDENT SAID
According to BES.media, the President made the criticism at the August conference of teachers and reported that more than 700 serious errors had been identified in school textbooks.
Kassym-Jomart Tokayev linked these errors to severe consequences for the quality of school education and demanded that educational materials containing inaccurate historical facts and events be reviewed.
WHAT INACCURATE INFORMATION TOKAYEV NOTED
The President also stated that children are being told myths about certain alleged heroes and their exploits which, in his words, never actually happened.
The head of state noted that instilling patriotism through the dissemination of false and fabricated information could undermine the moral backbone of society. Which specific textbooks and historical materials came under criticism was not specified in the materials provided.
CRITICISM OF THE IMAGE OF A "NATION IN ETERNAL MOURNING"
Separately, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev spoke out about the excessive focus on the theme of sorrow in Kazakhstan's literature and culture.
The President reminded that he had previously spoken of the need to abandon the image and character of a "nation in eternal mourning." In his view, sorrow should not become a guiding principle for young people.
WHAT ELSE THE PRESIDENT SAID
At the same conference, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev instructed the government to examine in detail the problem of aggressive fast food advertising. In his words, such advertising fosters unhealthy habits and places additional strain on the healthcare system.
The President reported that around 7,000 children with diabetes are under medical supervision and that this number is growing. At the same time, the head of state did not propose specific restrictions on fast food advertising for Kazakhstan.
Furthermore, Tokayev stated the need to strengthen the protection of children from harmful content on the internet. According to him, the government has drafted a bill providing for a ban on social media registration for users under the age of 16, and the document has already been submitted to parliament.
The President also instructed that measures be taken to filter content for minors and to scale up the introduction of mandatory children's SIM cards.
