Appeal to parents of large and low-income families whose children this year go to universities

The fateful time has come for many parents and school graduates - to decide on the choice of life paths for boys and girls, in particular, to decide on the question of further education. In this regard, I would like to help them correctly prioritize this difficult and vital path. Recall that this year the state took a number of specific measures in the field of social protection of large and low-income families. In June of this year, President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Kassym-Zhomart Tokayev signed decrees on launching a new housing program to issue a loan at 2% per annum, on repayment of debt in second-tier banks in a one-time manner, on the additional allocation of 5 thousand educational grants. This is the long-awaited support of socially vulnerable segments of the country's population.

And in my opinion, one of the important not only socially-oriented, but far-sighted decisions of the state is allocation of additional 5 thousand educational grants, since it is education that gives confidence in future and creates a solid state base.

Additional educational grants are allocated for children from large and low-income families. If your child scored a threshold point in UNT, then from August 5 to August 10 you must submit an application to participate in the competition for a large number of additional grants.

Of course, each of you whose children enter into a great life with the hope of getting a higher education this year, have such thoughts as where to send the child to study, so that in the future he will become a demanded and well-paid specialist.

However, when the time comes to weigh pros and cons, it turns out to be a lot of difficulties: the cost of home renting or a hostel, the cost of travel, lack of independence in everyday life, the fear of failing studies at the chosen university, etc. Many people think that it would be more profitable to go to "your" regional university (that is, to the nearest university next to the house), saving even a small amount of money. Moving and studying at prestigious universities of Almaty and Nur Sultan will really be costly for your family. To some extent, your expenses will be reduced by the fact that grant holders are paid a scholarship of about 21,000 tenge, and compensation for travel twice a year for the vacation period in the amount of more than 10,000 tenge.

But great opportunities, such as international exchange programs, a competitive environment, high quality education (the fact that the commercial cost in these universities is 2-3 times more than the cost of a state grant, but does not require payment) to you and your children those sacrifices and difficulties that you have to make. This will allow the young man to become a demanded specialist in the labor market and gain faith in himself and in his country.

A graduate who is confident in himself and in his knowledge, with a university diploma with great opportunities and high quality education, will improve for the better the social status of your family, and even the condition of your village and region. And then, dear parents, you realize that you have made the right decision by choosing the Best University.

In this regard, I would like to tell a story about how my mother’s dream of getting a quality higher education was realized through her children. Every family has an example of a leader. For me, a hero and an example of a leader is my mother. When she was three years old, she was sent to an orphanage. It was a forced decision for her parents; there were many children in the family who were starving. It so happened that after some time the orphanage moved to Russia, and the connection of parents with their daughter was lost. When mother was 17 years old, she returned to Kazakhstan, and, fortunately, her parents were found.

Then she got married, gave birth and raised seven children. But she had a dream - to get a higher education, and when she realized that this dream is unlikely to come true, she did not give up and decided to implement it differently: so that all her seven children get higher education and be successful in life.

We lived in different villages of the former Kokchetav region, and there at least one child to give higher education was considered a feat, but my mother always said, like a mantra: “It is possible! My task is to give a higher education to all my children and then they will be able to build a good life for themselves. ” And she achieved her goal! Today we have 18 higher educations for seven brothers and sisters!

Moreover, our mother sent all of us to study in Almaty, that time the capital of the country. Of course, there were great financial difficulties, so our family had several periods when two children studied at the same time in Almaty. And there was even a year when three children studied at the same university at the same time. But neither our parents nor we were discouraged, and our brothers and sisters, we found the opportunity to work as a postman, watchman, and loader in order to stay in college and finish it. If you search, in big cities it is possible to get additional earnings, during studies and during summer holidays.

It seems to me that even in those difficult years, Kazakh parents were ready to spend the last money to give their child a decent education. And a good example of my wife’s uncle, Nigmet Gabdullin, confirms my words. In 1946, his parents killed the last cow, so that their child went to study in Almaty, and received higher education. Subsequently, he lived up to the hope of his parents, as he became a scientist, having defended his doctoral dissertation, he worked as chief editor of the most authoritative publications at that time. Having written many books in Kazakh language, Nigmet Gabdullin brought glory to his small homeland. This is a great merit of his parents, who believed in him and laid a solid foundation for his creative development.

The 21st century is the century of entrepreneurship development

The 21st century is the century of entrepreneurship development, so we first of all need to think about whether a young man or a young girl can create their own business. If one young representative from a large family chooses a profession with an entrepreneurial bias, he will ensure stable development of the whole family, including creating a family business. Today, in our country, until 2030, a State program was developed to stimulate entrepreneurial activity and development of small business. The program is carried out by providing soft loans, grants and professional courses for motivated and interested to start a business. And people with entrepreneurial thinking do not think of questions how to find a job, but rather they themselves hire competent specialists to create and promote their business.

Thus, parents can not only share responsibility with the state for receiving a quality education for their child, but also push their children to a courageous and promising step towards a new life. That is exactly what my parents did, and that is how you should do it!

Graduate of Antonovskaya secondary school in  Ayyrtau district of the North Kazakhstan region,

President of Almaty Management University (AlmaU),

Honor expert in education of the Republic of Kazakhstan

Assylbek Kozhakhmetov