Kazakh President opens first Intellectual school in Astana

ASTANA. January 12. KAZINFORM /Aigul Tulekbayeva/ First in the republic Intellectual school has been opened today in Astana with Head of the State Nursultan Nazarbayev's participation, Kazinform reports.

As earlier reported, under a commission of the President 20 similar schools will be opened in Astana, Almaty and regional centers. It will be physics-maths and chemistry-biology schools. ?We open first school here, in Astana. Cities as Astana and Almaty, Shymkent and Atyrau will have two such schools; in the other regional centers there will be only one so far?, the President said. He noted that these schools will educate the intellectual elite of the country. According to the President these schools will have special status. Children, demonstrating abilities in exact and natural sciences will study there. ?Mathematics is the foundation of governance, economics, and finance. Physics is a development of high-tech science. Disciplines, necessary for our country will be taught at the schools?, the President said. The President noted that despite all the difficulties, the Government supports education. Investments to education increased 7 times. Beginning from January 1, salary of teachers of the country was increased by 25%. As Kazakh Minister of Education and Science Zhanseit Tuimenbayev noted, Intellectual schools will admit children on a competitive basis after the sixth grade. According to the Vice Minister of Education and Science Kulyash Shamshitdinova, teachers from Moscow were invited to work at this school. A number of disciplines will be taught in English.