Abai Kunanbayev Saran Higher Humanitarian and Technical College: Success Is Born of Cooperation

Openness and strong connections, a desire to develop and professionally advance our students and teachers, and a lively creative atmosphere in the college are the foundation for young specialists who, while still studying, already see themselves in the profession, have ideas of their own and are passionate about their future. This is the kind of educational environment we have tried to build at Abai Kunanbayev Saran Higher Humanitarian and Technical College (SHHTC), where specialists are trained today in 15 specialties that are in highest demand both in the region and across the country.

The college’s rich experience, its focus on innovation and best practices in education, its cooperation with foreign colleagues and domestic employers, and its active participation in the WorldSkills movement are a guarantee of successful professional future for our students. No less important is the unique educational environment that has historically developed across the CIS. Over the college’s many years of history – and we are approaching our 105th anniversary – strong traditions of friendship and professional exchange with partner countries have taken root. Thanks to this, students can compare their level with peers from other countries, share experience and feel the spirit of healthy professional competition.

Having traveled a path of more than a century, from a pedagogical technical school to a higher college, Abai Kunanbayev Saran Higher Humanitarian and Technical College today is a strong educational center. Bearing the name of the great Kazakh thinker, poet and educator Abai Kunanbayev, the college honors his key precept: “A person must study in order to become a Human.” This philosophy of humanism, continuous self-improvement and academic integrity is built into the foundation of our strategic development.

The roots of the college go back to Karkaralinsk Pedagogical Technical School, which opened in the early 20th century. Instruction there was conducted in Kazakh, which gave talented Kazakh youth an opportunity to receive education; they later brought renown to the republic through their achievements. Thus, our Kazakh department has a history of more than a hundred years. We are proud that scientists and cultural figures studied within these walls, whose names are forever inscribed in the history of Kazakhstan.

Academician Shafik Chokin was an outstanding energy scientist of world renown, an academician and the President of the Academy of Sciences of the Kazakh SSR, and a Halyk Kaharmany (National Hero). His fundamental works shaped Kazakhstan’s energy map and became the basis for the country’s largest water and industrial projects.

Academician Abylkas Saginov was a legendary scientist and a Hero of Socialist Labor who made an invaluable contribution to the development of mining science and higher engineering education. Today his name is proudly borne by the region’s flagship of technical education, Karaganda Technical University.

Professor Kabken Mashrapov was a prominent philologist who made a weighty contribution to the study of Kazakh linguistics and teaching methodology and trained more than one generation of the country’s linguists.

The stories of such people serve as the main guide for our students. At the department, scientific and theoretical clubs and student research communities are active, and historical and local-history conferences are held that integrate the classical heritage with current political science and sociological trends.

Training specialists in teaching occupies a special place in the college’s work. 

We train preschool educators, primary education teachers, and teachers of Russian, Kazakh and foreign languages, literature, informatics, physical education and art and craft for primary and basic secondary education. We also offer applied bachelor’s programs in primary education pedagogy and methodology, teaching Kazakh language and literature, and physical education.

The Kazakh Language and Literature Department of the SHHTC fulfills a vital historical and national mission: it carefully preserves, develops and transmits national values, the native language, culture and academic traditions of the Great Steppe. For decades the department has laid a solid theoretical and values-based foundation for future teachers, philologists and researchers.

Our pride is the Foreign Languages Department (primarily English) for basic schools. Its infrastructure includes modern multimedia language classrooms, interactive laboratories and a rich collection of authentic teaching literature. Through meetings with native speakers, participation in international-format debate clubs and defense of research projects in English, students have an opportunity to immerse themselves in a language environment.

We cannot fail to mention the official branch of the German center “Wiedergeburt” operating at our college, whose goal is to preserve the national identity, traditions, customs and historical memory of Kazakhstan’s ethnic Germans. At the center, students from all of the college’s departments, as well as the residents of the city of Saran, have a unique opportunity for in-depth study of German using modern multimedia programs and with the participation of language assistants from Germany. The history of the vocal and choreographic ensemble “Dancing Valley” is inseparably linked with this center; under the direction of A. V. Penner, it was awarded the honorary title of People’s Ensemble. The ensemble is a regular participant of international festivals and has repeatedly won the Grand Prix at the republican festivals of German culture. Our students represented the German diaspora at the Assembly of the People of Kazakhstan and at EXPO in Astana.

The sports base of Saran College is rightfully considered one of the strongest and most successful not only in Karaganda Region but across the entire country. 

Our physical education department has created a unique, highly professional environment of facilities, coaches and teachers for training physical education teachers, sport coaches and heads of sports sections. Students become world competition champions while still studying.

We have managed to build a flexible system of individual educational pathways, including elements of distance and dual learning. This allows active athletes to combine a demanding schedule of training, regular camps and trips abroad with receiving a quality education. Graduates of the physical education department enter professional life with both sporting victories and a full understanding of sports psychology, anatomy, biomechanics and advanced pedagogical methods of the training process.

One of the main proofs of the SHHTC’s leadership status is that the college has been a key initiator, inspiration and permanent co-organizer of a large-scale international project, the Fair of Social and Pedagogical Innovations in Education, which every year, under the auspices of Saran College, brings together hundreds of leading teachers, researchers and methodologists from all regions of Kazakhstan as well as from near and far abroad (including Russia, Belarus, the USA and others).

“SAILS OF DREAMS”

One of our areas of training is preschool education and training. Students of this specialty take part in international events and competitions. One of the most memorable is the open international professional skills competition “Sails of Dreams,” held every year in Chelyabinsk, the Russian Federation.

This unique competition, founded by the Ministry of Education and Science of Chelyabinsk Region and bringing together students from Russia, Kazakhstan and Belarus, aims to raise the prestige of the profession of preschool teacher and to motivate young specialists to pursue professional careers. It gives an impulse to the development of creative potential and makes it possible to spread innovative experience in training mid-level specialists.

The leader of our student group at these competitions is Oksana Yaroslavna Zakirova. The competition makes a strong impression: strong teams, excellently prepared participants, powerful team leaders. Competing and proving yourself in such a setting is, of course, tremendous experience.

Over the years, students of our college have made a worthy showing at the “Sails of Dreams” competition. Irina Mikhailova took part in 2018, and Darya Romanova in 2019.

In 2020 Kristina Pisareva, and in 2024 Yana Kraskova, won honorable second places, demonstrating professional and intellectual abilities, artistry, command of practical methods for teaching preschool-age children, and an ability to conduct a professional dialogue.

The competition consisted of several stages. In the creative self-presentation, participants showed their creative talents – they sang, danced and recited poetry. Our students performed excerpts from fairy tales and brought sets and costumes with them for the purpose.

The next round was a project defense, the topic of which nobody knew in advance. Points were awarded for the student’s speech and knowledge of the question assigned to them.

Another very interesting and challenging task was a joint activity with pupils of a preschool organization. Each student was assigned a kindergarten child whom they saw for the first time. In a short time – one hour – they had to learn a song with the child and stage a scene: a musical number or a puppet show. Kristina Pisareva, for example, rehearsed a musical number with rhythmic-musical movements with her pupil and managed to find an individual approach to him or her.

We are proud that the competition jury, which includes university representatives, kindergarten heads and even actors from the Theatre of Young Spectators, noted a high level of our preparation. All the handouts and our teaching aids are still kept at Chelyabinsk State University in the Department of Pedagogy and Psychology. This is very valuable to us.

“Sails of Dreams” in Chelyabinsk can be called a pre-launch platform for WorldSkills. The experience of taking part in this competition is used to improve the educational process. In 2019, our regional stage of the WorldSkills competition was visited by a freelance consultant, Timur Minnikhanov of Chelyabinsk Pedagogical College No. 2. Based on his recommendations, the college adjusted the methodology of the demonstration exam in the specialty “Preschool Education and Training.” In particular, its structure now includes developing and delivering lessons (for example, in mathematics) using ICT; conducting organized learning activities and morning exercises using non-traditional techniques and improvised aids (for example, play items made of paper or ribbons); and preparing and holding parent meetings using ICT tools and elements of artificial intelligence.

Having chosen a profession, a young person needs support for that choice more than ever – support in sustaining and increasing motivation, interest and the desire to become the best at their craft. International cooperation is a powerful incentive for maintaining and developing this motivation. It is wonderful that today we have such large-scale and widely known instruments as the WorldSkills movement. Having gained enormous popularity in Kazakhstan, these competitions allow students to greatly enhance their competencies and reach the international stage.

The “Sails of Dreams” competition and WorldSkills are in tune in their philosophy and share a common idea: professionalism cannot be formed through theory alone – a future teacher must be able to act, create, make decisions, communicate, see the child and understand the child’s needs. Professional competitions are becoming an important part in developing these skills.

BEYOND THE COMPETITIONS

To prepare future teachers for championships, two competence centers for teaching specialties operate at Abai Kunanbayev Saran Higher Humanitarian and Technical College: “Primary School Teaching” and “Preschool Education.”

Classes at the “Primary School Teaching” competence center are held in a modern format. The necessary technical equipment is provided for this: an interactive whiteboard, computer and multimedia equipment, internet access, and technical equipment for using digital educational platforms.

The center also houses electronic textbooks, teaching and methodological materials, and collections of didactic tasks for teaching primary school subjects, aimed at developing students’ professional competencies and combining theoretical knowledge with practical activity.

To organize the learning process effectively, taking into account the age characteristics of primary school pupils, the center is equipped with visual aids for various school subjects, handouts and cards, mathematical and logic tasks, speech development materials, didactic tools for applying game-based technologies, and materials for creative and practical work.

Various practical tasks are developed and used to foster students’ creative abilities, build independent-work skills and improve the professional training of future primary school teachers.

In the “Primary School Teaching” competence, experts, compatriots and school teachers are now actively preparing for the upcoming national championship. The center has set up an educational space for training, where work is under way on completing championship tasks, modeling lessons, demonstrating practical work and preparing in line with the experts’ assessment requirements.

Work to improve the center’s material and technical base and to introduce modern and innovative technologies into the educational process is carried out on an ongoing basis.

Since 2025, the college has regularly hosted and held a regional seminar within the framework of the regional WorldSkills Karaganda championship in the competence “Preschool Education.” At this seminar, teachers of specialized subjects and experts from colleges across the region exchange experience on championship requirements, assessment criteria, development of competition tasks and preparation of participants in line with international standards.

In this way, professional cooperation is strengthened among teachers of technical and vocational education institutions in the region.

The college has equipped a specialized classroom for this competence, outfitted with modern technical means and the necessary equipment that meet contemporary requirements for holding competition events.

Regular participation in WorldSkills makes it possible to integrate theoretical knowledge with practical activity, improve students’ professional skills and strengthen their competitiveness as future specialists who meet modern and international professional requirements.

At present, we propose providing special practical hours in the curriculum for the competence “Preschool Education,” so that students can prepare for championships jointly with methodologists from social partners – preschool education and training organizations. Allocating additional practical hours would make it possible to organize targeted preparation of participants for the competition tasks, provide practice-oriented training, and raise both the students’ professional readiness and the effectiveness of their participation in the regional championship.

Today the college’s mission is taking on new meaning. International cooperation, dual education, partnership with employers, competence centers, internships and professional competitions are all elements of one large process: the transition of vocational education to a new quality.

Alma TEMIRBULATOVA, Director of Abai Kunanbayev SVGTK,

Elena KASHINA, Curriculum Specialist

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АННОТАЦИЯ

Teacher training is one of the areas of study at Abai Kunanbayev Saran Higher Humanitarian and Technical College. The teaching is of a high standard, as confirmed by the college’s active and successful participation in international competitions such as “Sails of Dreams” in Russia and the world-famous WorldSkills. Two competence centers have been opened at the college to prepare future kindergarten and primary school teachers for championships.