The Kazakhstan Chess Federation, in collaboration with the Youth Policy Center of the Kazakh National Women’s Teacher Training University, held a national conference titled "Chess in Education."
The purpose of the meeting was to review the interim results of integrating chess into the school curriculum and to discuss modern methodologies that help develop critical thinking and emotional intelligence in the younger generation.
Currently, the "Chess in Education" project covers grades 1–3 in 1,500 schools across the country. Additionally, a special "Chess Educator" MINOR program has been introduced in 7 leading universities, including QyzPU. Thanks to this initiative, 204 future primary school teachers have fully mastered chess teaching methods.
The event was attended by more than 150 school principals, teachers, and representatives of education departments from Almaty city and the Almaty region. During the conference, particular attention was paid to expanding the pilot project to include chess as both an elective and a core subject in Kazakhstani schools. Researchers presented evidence-based data on the positive impact of chess lessons on student performance, particularly in STEM subjects (mathematics and logic).
"Chess in school is not just a game; it is a powerful educational tool. Our joint task with QyzPU is to create a sustainable methodological framework so that every teacher can use this tool effectively in the classroom," representatives of the Kazakhstan Chess Federation noted.
It is worth noting that, as part of this strategic partnership, the KazChessLab innovative laboratory operates at the university with the support of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
