SCHOOL TEXTBOOKS IN THE PERIOD OF INDEPENDENCE: HISTORICAL MEMORY, POLITICAL DISCOURSE, AND NATIONAL IDEOLOGY

Abstract

The article analyzes the content of history textbooks used in secondary education institutions of Kazakhstan during the period of independence. It explores their role in shaping historical memory, directing political discourse, and consolidating national ideology. The relevance of the topic is determined by the need to form a new historical consciousness in the context of an independent state. The study includes a comparative analysis of textbook texts from the Soviet period and the period of independence, and examines ideological changes in history teaching. The results show that modern Kazakhstani textbooks predominantly offer a new interpretation of the colonial period, glorify national heroes, and exhibit a tendency toward openly presenting previously suppressed historical facts. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that the textbooks systematically promote the political principles of independent Kazakhstan — such as unity in a multiethnic society, the «Mangilik El» (Eternal Nation) idea, and patriotism. However, the persistence of certain elements of the Soviet narrative in new textbooks is also noted. The article analyzes the causes of this phenomenon and offers recommendations for improving educational programs and textbook content.