Kazakhstan vs France
Side-by-side comparison of how these places approach childhood.
Kazakhstan
Kazakh children learn to ride horses before they learn to ride bicycles.
Nomadic equestrian heritage runs deep β horseback games like kokpar are taught to children in rural areas alongside modern school subjects.
France
In France, school lunches are four-course meals with a cheese course, and children eat what's served.
French school canteens serve a starter, main course, cheese, and dessert. There are no vending machines, no packed lunches, and no substitutions β food education is part of the curriculum.
Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan follows an 11-year system transitioning to 12 years. Kazakh and Russian are both languages of instruction, with English being added as a third language for science subjects. The Nazarbayev Intellectual Schools serve as reform laboratories.
France
Free, secular public education is a constitutional principle. Children enter Γ©cole maternelle at age 3 (compulsory since 2019). The curriculum is highly centralized and standardized nationally. Wednesday afternoons are traditionally free.
Planning a move from Kazakhstan to France?
Get a personalised Family Integration Playbook β your parenting style mapped to your destination's culture.
Get your playbook β $99