Words of the Ministerial Order
The ban on headscarves in educational institutions in Kazakhstan is being debated anew around the issues of secularism, “Kazakh identity” and the state’s approach to religion. While the government argues that religious symbols should not enter schools, some Muslim circles consider the headscarf an obligation; the state, meanwhile, distinguishes between “traditional” Islam and practices it regards as “foreign” or “radical.”
Ministerial Order No. 26, dated 14 January 2016, stipulates that uniforms in secondary education should comply with secular education and that elements indicating religious affiliation should not be added to uniforms.
Kassym-Jomart Tokayev timeline
The regulation updated in 2023 remains in force. In Atyrau, 328 female students in January 2018 and more than 150 in 2023 were not allowed into school because of the ban; they returned after meetings between the ministry and parents.
President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev advocated strict adherence to secularism and said children should make this choice only after forming their own worldview. The new Constitution separates religion from the state and defines the education system outside religious institutions as secular.
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Tokayev also signed a regulation on 30 June 2025 banning clothing that prevents the face from being recognized in public spaces. The law, implemented on 12 July 2025, does not name a specific religious garment and includes various exceptions. Administrative action was taken against 21 women under the law, citing security grounds.