Elite schools and educational inequality: Evidence from a private university in Kazakhstan
Saule K. Kurmanov B.
January 2024Elsevier Ltd
International Journal of Educational Research
2024#127
Neoliberal reforms in education led to the creation of elite schools which resulted in educational inequality that later often channels into economic and social inequalities. This research aims to deepen the understanding of the impact of elite secondary education on inequality in a post-Soviet context. The study empirically examines the gain in academic performance achieved by graduates of better-funded, better-quality, elite public secondary schools in Kazakhstan during their studies at a university, with a sequential mixed-method approach. Our quantitative analysis documents that they indeed perform better than their peers who have studied at mainstream public schools. The qualitative analysis underscores that elite schools in Kazakhstan, with superior infrastructure and academic standards, prioritize soft skill development, yet exacerbate educational inequality by limiting access to students without resources or means to relocate. This work has important policy implications most crucial of which is the efficiency of public funding policy that anchors educational inequalities. Our research highlights how neoliberal reforms in Kazakhstan have exacerbated educational inequality through the emergence of state-sponsored elite and private schools, echoing broader concerns about the negative impact of education marketization on equity in post-socialist contexts.
Academic performance , Elite schools , Inequality , Kazakhstan , Secondary education
Text of the article Перейти на текст статьи
International School of Economics, Maqsut Narikbayev University, Astana, Kazakhstan
Research Fellow at the Institute of Public Policy and Administration, Graduate School of Development, University of Central Asia, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan
International School of Economics
Research Fellow at the Institute of Public Policy and Administration
10 лет помогаем публиковать статьи Международный издатель
Книга Публикация научной статьи Волощук 2026 Book Publication of a scientific article 2026