Army Schools Fall Out of Step
Army Schools Fall Out of Step
After Defence Minister Danial Akhmetov expressed concern at the poor standard of education in Kazakstan’s military schools, NBCentralAsia analysts have called for more spending and greater transparency.
At a meeting of senior defence ministry staff on March 13, Akhmetov said the standard of education in Kazakstan’s nine military colleges fell short of modern requirements, and their graduates and officer cadets were poorly trained.
NBCentralAsia analysts suggest that the army’s secretive system is hampering military education reform by making it difficult to identify or publicly discuss problems.
“It’s difficult to judge the effectiveness of military college training for the simple reason that Kazakstan’s army has become increasingly closed over the past few years, especially to the media,” said NBCentralAsia analyst Eduard Poletaev.
Colonel Marat Baisakov agrees with the view that the army has closed itself off from society and the media. He says that despite increased spending on defence, funding for new military training methods remains inadequate.
This year, Kazakstan will double its defence budget to one billion US dollars. The money will largely go on infrastructure and technical updates for the mobile rapid-reaction forces which are envisaged by the government’s new defence strategy.
In addition to financial hardship, military colleges suffer from a lack of prestige, and fail to attract the brightest students.
“Progressive young people don’t choose military college,” said Poletaev. “In Soviet times, many young people dreamed of going to military academies, but now the only ones who choose a military career come from families with a military tradition, or families with modest means.”
It will take both financial and psychological incentives to boost the attractiveness of a career as a military officer. Commentators say that until the benefits and pay for the military are brought into line with Kazakstan’s oil-rich economy, military service will remain an unpopular option and army education will remain stuck in its ways.
(News Briefing Central Asia draws comment and analysis from a broad range of political observers across the region.)
At a meeting of senior defence ministry staff on March 13, Akhmetov said the standard of education in Kazakstan’s nine military colleges fell short of modern requirements, and their graduates and officer cadets were poorly trained.
NBCentralAsia analysts suggest that the army’s secretive system is hampering military education reform by making it difficult to identify or publicly discuss problems.
“It’s difficult to judge the effectiveness of military college training for the simple reason that Kazakstan’s army has become increasingly closed over the past few years, especially to the media,” said NBCentralAsia analyst Eduard Poletaev.
Colonel Marat Baisakov agrees with the view that the army has closed itself off from society and the media. He says that despite increased spending on defence, funding for new military training methods remains inadequate.
This year, Kazakstan will double its defence budget to one billion US dollars. The money will largely go on infrastructure and technical updates for the mobile rapid-reaction forces which are envisaged by the government’s new defence strategy.
In addition to financial hardship, military colleges suffer from a lack of prestige, and fail to attract the brightest students.
“Progressive young people don’t choose military college,” said Poletaev. “In Soviet times, many young people dreamed of going to military academies, but now the only ones who choose a military career come from families with a military tradition, or families with modest means.”
It will take both financial and psychological incentives to boost the attractiveness of a career as a military officer. Commentators say that until the benefits and pay for the military are brought into line with Kazakstan’s oil-rich economy, military service will remain an unpopular option and army education will remain stuck in its ways.
(News Briefing Central Asia draws comment and analysis from a broad range of political observers across the region.)
