Kazakh schoolchildren to be taught how to greet properly: deputy’s proposal

Tengrinews.kz – Kurultai deputy Erlan Sairov has proposed making the culture of greeting part of everyday school life. In his opinion, respectful communication with one another should become not a one-time educational initiative, but a permanent habit among children.
Erlan Sairov made the proposal in his deputy inquiry addressed to Minister of Culture and Information Arman Kyrykbai and Minister of Education Zhuldyz Suleimenova.

“President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has noted that the main task is to preserve the priceless treasure of our people — our national heritage. The Head of State’s initiative to develop a culture of greeting in line with national values is also a concrete manifestation of this policy,” the deputy said.

The deputy noted that culture is not limited to concerts, theaters and museums. It is reflected in a person’s everyday behavior, manners, attitude toward others and compliance with public ethics.
According to Sairov, the culture of greeting is one of the simplest and most visible elements of national identity. In Kazakh society, greeting traditions have historically been based on respect for elders, respectful treatment of younger people and the preservation of family ties.

“The main feature of the Kazakh greeting is restraint. Greeting is one of the simplest, yet deepest, elements of this cultural code,” the deputy noted.

He also said that greeting customs are part of the cultural identity of different peoples. Amid globalization, preserving them may become one way to maintain national cultural distinctiveness.
The deputy believes that the culture of greeting should not be viewed as a separate one-time campaign or solely as an area of educational work. In his opinion, it should become part of long-term state policy aimed at strengthening national identity.

“A cultural code begins not with loud slogans, but with everyday habits,” Sairov emphasized.

In this regard, the deputy proposed developing methodological recommendations for forming a culture of greeting as a social norm based on national values.
He also considers it necessary to make the culture of greeting a permanent element of daily educational work in schools. To this end, he proposed using class hours, school rules, mentorship, work with parents, teachers’ personal example and the overall cultural environment of the school.
In addition, Sairov proposed jointly developing specific proposals with preschool, secondary, technical and vocational, as well as higher education organizations on including national etiquette norms in modern educational work.
According to the deputy, this approach would help form a culture of respectful communication among children through everyday habits, not only through individual lessons or events.
As a reminder, earlier, during a media briefing at the Kurultai deputy elections, Head of State Kassym-Jomart Tokayev spoke about a “new code of conduct” for Kazakhstanis.

“Watching the behavior of young people, as well as elderly people, I came to the conclusion that we should still remember our ancestral traditions. It is not right when men start hugging and kissing each other, when women kiss men and men kiss women. This was never part of our customs. Especially people in military uniform. Generals start hugging each other. What is this? Can you imagine marshals of the Soviet Union, marshals who were victors in the World War, in the Great Patriotic War, hugging and kissing each other? Men should offer each other their hand, shake it firmly, and not offer a hand like a warm cutlet or a twig, and greet each other with a smile, but no more than that. This has always been the way,” the President said earlier.