ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on how real outcomes affected girls' enrolment in secondary vocational and tertiary education in two countries of Central Asia, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. It argues that although education reforms after independence did bring transformations of the system, in terms of girls' enrolment in post-secondary education and occupational stereotypes the situation did not change significantly. Understanding of the significance of education reforms that were implemented in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan after independence will not be complete without an understanding of the countries' cultural backgrounds. The central principles of educational reform were declared in the National Program of Personnel Training, which is a comprehensive plan of reforms for all aspects of education in Uzbekistan. In contrast, strict regulation of educational paths in Uzbekistan limited the variety of educational opportunities for both girls and boys. A rationalisation policy called for the integration of schools in rural areas in order to reduce administrative, maintenance, and instructional costs.
