admitting and teaching twice-exceptional students. To illustrate, Principal 3 claimed :
We have not worked with such children yet. There were no such cases. But as a school, we are ready to teach such children if they come to us. Technically, we are ready. As for the rest of the children, we are trying to provide any possible support. We have a
sufficiently large number of mechanisms for this. This includes psychological support, that is, there are psychological questionnaires, individual lessons, some elective courses and, clubs of interest.
equitable access before enrollment is less likely to happen. What is more, in this principal’s view, the issues of underrepresentation are not matters of this school’s concern: “I think that this is a school for gifted children, and it is not a task of the school to solve any social issues.
For this, I think there should be other schools.” He also added that their teaching capacities are limited, although the competition among candidates for available seat is usually very high..
In other words, the physical capacity of the facility means they are not able to give opportunity to all students.
Conversely, ensuring equity does not necessarily imply that it is viable only in ideal educational contexts. Principal 5 highlighted the importance of equity to all educational organizations no matter if they are either for gifted children or ordinary schools:
Even with three shifts, schools can and have to provide equitable access and participation. People may refer to lack of resources and equipment, but if they had strong desire, they could afford it. Well, we have such a mentality. People like to complain.
As mentioned by several principals, this is more dependent on the priorities that schools set to maintain. For instance, Principal M put much emphasis on the importance of fairness in gifted education programs:
What was the main purpose of opening regional specialized schools in general? The name says that it is for a region. Not only the children from cities but also children from each district and village should have the same opportunity to study here.
Therefore, I believe that rural children’s enrollment proportions should be higher than they are now.
By claiming so, he sees his school’s mission in selecting children from the whole region and developing their intellectual skills. In the same vein, Principal D claimed that they want to discover a students’ potential in spite of challenges, and their students’ well-being and provision of equity are their utmost goals.
4.5.2 Policy recommendations
According to principals’ claims, there is no fee for students to pay to study in schools for gifted children. Student dormitories and food are fully provided at no cost. Principal 1 mentioned the financial support they give to help students from low SES families to buy school stationaries, bags, and other school supplies. He also pointed out the role of charity clubs within their schools. He was in the process of completing a memorandum with local orphanages to teach their children within the framework of this agreement. Principal 2
supported the idea of giving special seats for children from orphanages, but this idea was still under discussion. He shared some initiatives and his dreams: he had already visited some orphanages and observed six students. Unfortunately, only one student seems ready to study at the school for gifted children, and he expressed his full support for that student. In turn,
Principal 4 is already practicing such an initiative:
Every year we take two to three students from orphanages. We do not consider their entrance exam results because we know that they will not be able to pass it. They are just suggested by their administrators and we teach them. Some of them have already graduated from our school, and one student is currently studying in the US. We
provide all conditions. Parents of our students periodically take them to their homes so as not feel lonely. In this environment, they acquire Kazakhs’ way of upbringing their children, and they positively change a lot even in two years.
In turn, Principal 6 said that equity being placed “on a higher level of a ladder”
requires even more investments in this field. On the one hand, it would solve the problems of rural children if enough trainers prepared and the exams were conducted in different regions.
On the other hand, this would prolong the selection procedures. Summing up, he concluded that the schools will gradually come to equity, but it demands more financial as well as human resources. If there are no constraints in terms of money, then equity could be more easily achieved.
A well-developed school infrastructure system and up-to-date facilities would be another outcome of allocating more money to schools for gifted children. Principal 1
expressed his plans regarding this concern: “Generally speaking, I would like to better the school conditions, from the toilets to the entrance, exits, to meet the needs of workers, and students with special needs. It is my aim. I believe that it will be implemented”.
It was not only once put forth by principals that they were distributing special grants for certain societal groups. Primarily, students from rural schools could be considered for the extra scholarships. Principal 1 said that since this year they are going to consider these grants, while principals of other two schools claimed that this approach has already achieved positive results. For Principal 4, there is no problem with underrepresentation of rural children since parents are well aware of this aid and if interested can apply.