From Soviet Legacy to Neoliberal Vision: An Evaluation and Critical Discourse Analysis of Kazakhstan’s State Program of Education Development (2011–2020)

Abstract

This study presents a Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) and evaluative examination of the State Program of Education Development in the Republic of Kazakhstan for 2011–2020, aiming to uncover and assess the underlying discourses, ideologies, and global influences shaping national education policy. Utilizing Fairclough’s three-dimensional CDA framework in conjunction with Rizvi and Lingard’s policy analysis questions, the research critically evaluates the text at the levels of language, discourse practice, and social practice. Quantitative word frequency analysis provides an evaluative mapping of dominant themes such as development, modernization, and human capital, while qualitative analysis identifies and critiques the prevalence of globalized discourses including the knowledge economy, marketization, standardization, and internationalization. The findings not only demonstrate but also evaluate how effectively the policy text articulates a transition from Soviet-style education to a neoliberal and Western-aligned system, emphasizing competitiveness, privatization, and alignment with global standards. Moreover, the study critically interrogates and assesses the implications of the policy’s promotion of economic instrumentalism and its engagement with international agencies such as the OECD, UNESCO, and the World Bank. While the policy aspires to decolonize education and reframe Kazakhstan’s future through human capital development, it also raises critical evaluative questions about the emergence of a new form of soft colonization via neoliberal globalization. The analysis concludes that the policy reflects a hybrid vision, simultaneously seeking national identity consolidation and alignment with global educational trends, thus contributing an evaluative perspective to ongoing debates around post-socialist transitions, globalization, and education reform. This CDA contributes to the field by highlighting and evaluating the complexities, contradictions, and power dynamics embedded in Kazakhstan’s education policymaking processes within a globalized context.