Аннотация
This article analyses the material, social and infrastructural factors affecting the social and cultural development of children in urban and rural areas of Kazakhstan. Despite the fact that the country's government is devoting significant resources to the socio-economic development of the state, inequalities in the quality of life between rural and urban areas persist, particularly in opportunities for adolescents, access to education and its quality. The President has instructed the Ministry of Education to develop and implement special programmes to overcome the academic underachievement of children from low-income families, difficult social circumstances and schools with poor educational outcomes. This determines the relevance of the topic. In this regard, the purpose of the article is to identify and analyse the factors of social and cultural differences between urban and rural schools. The analytical part of the article uses data from the Centre for the Development of Small Comprehensive Schools of the Y. Altynsarin National Academy of Education, the A. Baitursynuly National Centre for Education Quality Research and Assessment, the National Bureau of Statistics of the Republic of Kazakhstan, as well as the results of international research PISA-2022. The study uses a systematic approach, methods of comparative analysis, generalisation and systematisation. In conclusion, measures to eliminate social and cultural inequality between rural and urban schools are proposed. Key words: social development, educational inequality, education system, regional peculiarities, socio-cultural challenges