Quality education – is the shortest path to achieving development goals

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In the process of strategic reforms, Uzbekistan sets ambitious goals and plans.

To implement them, Uzbekistan needs mature personnel and specialists who correspond to the fast pace of reforms.

Therefore, the government of the country directs enormous efforts and resources to the comprehensive development of the education system in the country, including the training of qualified personnel.

As a result, qualitative changes have begun to take place in pre-school, school and higher education systems, as well as in research institutions, resulting in the following positive trends.

Firstly, the approach to education has changed dramatically. The country has completely moved away from traditional approaches and began to actively introduce modern technologies and best foreign practices. In particular, the workload of schools has been optimized and the practice of forced labor of teachers has been abolished. And the development of school education, based on the slogan “A new Uzbekistan begins at the school threshold” has acquired the character of a nationwide movement.

Second, the reforms in the education system were based on raising the status of teachers in society and radically changing the attitude towards them.

In this connection, a new system of material support for teachers was formed, including the allocation of soft loans, introduction of allowances for teachers working in remote regions of the country.

Thirdly, a legal space has been created that meets the requirements of the new stage of development of Uzbekistan and modern trends in the field of education. In particular, for the first time the legal status of teachers was enshrined in the new edition of the Constitution of the country. According to the Constitution, "in the Republic of Uzbekistan, the work of a teacher is recognized as the basis for the development of society and the state, the formation and education of a healthy, harmonious generation, the preservation and enrichment of the spiritual and cultural potential of the people. The state cares about the protection of the honor and dignity of teachers, their social and material well-being, professional growth" (Article 52). Also, based on the requirements of today, the Law of the Republic of Uzbekistan "On Education" was adopted in a new edition.

In addition, the Basic Law provides for specific mechanisms aimed at expanding access of children with disabilities to quality education as separate responsibilities of the state in the field of education. In particular, Article 50 of the Constitution introduces a social norm on ensuring inclusive education of children with special educational needs in educational institutions.

Fourthly, the current tasks in this area are reflected in conceptual and strategic documents. In particular, the following documents were adopted: Strategy of Actions for Five Priority Development Areas for 2017-2021, Development Strategy of the New Uzbekistan for 2022-2026, Strategy Uzbekistan - 2030, Strategy Digital Uzbekistan - 2030, Concept of Development of the Public Education System of the Republic of Uzbekistan until 2030, Concept of Development of the Preschool Education System of the Republic of Uzbekistan until 2030, Concept of Development of the Higher Education System of the Republic of Uzbekistan until 2030, etc.

The adopted documents are significant in that they are aimed at revealing the potential of young people, their comprehensive support, and creating decent conditions for education and upbringing. After all, the words of the great educator, outstanding sage and teacher Abdullah Avlani: "Education is for us a matter of either life or death, or salvation or destruction, or happiness or disaster" are relevant at all times.

Fifthly, according to official statistics, the population of Uzbekistan currently stands at 37 million people. According to demographers' forecasts, by 2030 this figure will reach 40 million people.

Meanwhile, experts assess the dynamics of population growth, including the growth of the share of youth, as a period of "demographic dividends" and believe that the rational use of this resource will serve the further development of the country.

In this regard, the issue of the supremacy of human dignity and, as a consequence, the development of human capital has been put at the center of the reforms carried out in Uzbekistan. This is the imperative of the times. After all, the result of any reform depends on specialists with high potential who have received high-quality and modern education. In other words, human capital is the basis for modernization and economic success of any country.

Another important area of ​​state policy in the field of education is the creation of the necessary conditions for young people to obtain modern professions. One of the main problems that had been waiting for a solution for many years was the lack of a profession among 50% of school graduates entering the labor market.

In order to solve this issue, a new program has been implemented since 2023. According to the document, European standards of vocational education have been introduced in at least one technical school in each region. In the next five years, this system will cover all colleges and technical schools.

Sixth, quality education is the most effective and shortest path that determines the country's progress. In his address to the Parliament and the people of Uzbekistan on December 20, 2022, the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev emphasized that “improving the quality of education is the only true path to the development of the new Uzbekistan” and declared 2023 the “Year of Human Care and Quality Education”.

Seventh, in recent years, the trend of increasing the amount of funds allocated from the state budget to the education sector has become stable. Thus, if in 2021 2.9 trillion soums were allocated to the higher and secondary education system, 22.1 trillion soums to public education, then in 2022 these figures were 4.1 trillion soums and 25.8 trillion soums, respectively.

In general, the volume of expenditure on education, including the social sphere, accounts for more than half of the total cost of state budget expenditure. In particular, state budget expenditure on reforms in this sector has increased by 4.3 times over the past 6 years.

At the same time, in the process of implementing reforms in the public education system, the salaries of secondary school teachers were increased by 3 times, which made it possible to attract qualified specialists to teaching. As a result, in the 2016/2017 academic year, the share of teachers with higher education was 81.8%, and in the 2020/2021 academic year, this figure reached 87.8%.

In addition, in order to stimulate the work of teachers working in remote areas of the country, clear criteria have been established for paying them a monthly bonus of 50%. The practice of providing preferential loans to school teachers for the purchase of housing, vehicles, household appliances, etc. has also been introduced.

Naturally, not every state can afford such large expenses, but no matter how burdensome it may be, the necessary funds and resources are allocated for this. The head of Uzbekistan calls these expenses not expenses, but effective investments in the future, emphasizing that the level and quality of education are important factors determining the prospects of any state.

Eighth, reforms in this sector have begun to yield positive results in the short term. Thus, if in 2017 only 27% of children in Uzbekistan were covered by preschool education, over the past seven years the level of coverage has reached 74%.

At the same time, in recent years the number of higher education institutions has reached 210 (for comparison: in 2016 - 77), and coverage has reached 42%. The material and technical base of higher education institutions has been strengthened. Within the framework of joint educational programs with foreign countries, training of specialists in 64 new professions has been established.

Today, branches of more than 30 prestigious foreign universities (USA, Great Britain, Italy, Finland, Korea, India, Singapore, Russia, etc.) have opened in the country.

In general, the reforms have led to a 2.2-fold increase in the number of students studying in higher education institutions. For example, in 2016, 268.3 thousand students studied in universities, while in 2023 their number was 1.03 million.

Ninth, in order to fundamentally reform the management system of this area, introduce modern forms of management, optimize similar and duplicating functions of ministries and departments, as well as effectively ensure their activities, the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Innovation was created on the basis of the Ministry of Higher Education and Innovative Development, and the Ministry of Preschool and School Education was created on the basis of the Ministry of Preschool Education and Public Education.

Tenth, given the authority and influence of male teachers in the effective conduct of educational and upbringing work, specific measures have been taken to increase the proportion of male teachers, as a result of which more than 44 thousand men have returned to the public education system.

A new system of training talented youth abroad has also been introduced. In particular, the “El-Yurt Umidi” Foundation has been established in order to train highly qualified specialists abroad, search for, select and encourage talented and promising civil servants, form a new generation of personnel and facilitate their recruitment to the public service.

Today, more than 504 Foundation scholarship holders are studying at the most prestigious foreign educational and research, innovation and practical centers in the USA, Great Britain, Germany, France, Canada, Japan, Spain, South Korea, etc.

Also, in order to identify gifted children, widely introduce advanced technologies, methods and foreign experience into the educational process, create a holistic system of their education and upbringing, further support and stimulation of talented youth, on February 20, 2019, the Resolution of the Head of State “On measures to organize presidential schools” was adopted. Today, presidential schools are effectively functioning in all regions of the country.

As an example, in 2024, Abdulaziz Sobirov, a student of the presidential school in Tashkent, was admitted to Harvard University, which is in the top 5 of the world rankings, with a grant of 354 thousand dollars.

A logical continuation of this work is the introduction of the educational program of the Presidential Schools in thousands of schools in the country in 2024.

Along with this, the republic has schools of creativity named after Abu Ali Ibn Sino, specialized schools named after Ulugbek, Muhammad al-Khwarizmi have been created.

One of the latest documents aimed at further improving the country's education system was the adoption of the Decree of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan "On additional measures to accelerate reforms in the field of education".

In accordance with this Decree, in order to increase human resources in the field of education, organize the educational process and provide services in educational organizations based on new principles, raise the quality of educational services to the level of international standards and further accelerate reforms, the Project Office "Center for Projects in the Field of Education" was created.

The main areas of activity of the project office are defined as:

a) development of measures and promising initiatives for reforming the education sector;

b) analysis and generalization of recommendations of international organizations, financial institutions, consulting companies and specialists, ensuring effective implementation of optimal initiatives;

c) preparation of proposals for improving educational standards, curricula and programs based on advanced foreign experience with the involvement of leading experts, consultants, advisers and the public;

d) ensuring continuity and succession between types and levels of education, organizing coordinated interaction of ministries and departments in the development of state educational standards and curricula;

d) formation of a culture of quality education in educational organizations, provision of comprehensive assistance to ministries and departments in conducting international accreditation of curricula;

e) strengthening international ties in the issue of control over the quality of education, expanding cooperation with foreign and international assessment organizations.

It should be noted that the reforms being implemented in the country have become irreversible. The state has outlined a number of serious tasks for the near future in order to improve the education system in the context of modern trends. In particular:

- bringing the preschool education system to a new level, striving to ensure that children are covered by preschool education.

- raising the general secondary education system to a completely new qualitative level, completely updating textbooks, teaching aids for teachers and mobile applications.

- implementation of the "Favorable Environment for Education" program in the general secondary education system, within the framework of which it is planned to launch free buses for students of 715 general secondary education institutions located in remote and hard-to-reach corners of the country.

- introduction of vocational training courses in all secondary general education institutions. In particular, the teaching methods of presidential and specialized schools will be introduced into the educational processes of all general educational institutions of secondary vocational education.

- active involvement of the private sector in the process of developing general secondary education, including bringing the number of non-governmental general educational organizations to 1 thousand.

- increasing the share of students in non-state general education organizations by 3 times. On the basis of public-private partnership and at the expense of attracted funds from international financial institutions, implement projects worth $2 billion to expand the network of general education organizations of secondary vocational education, etc.

- by 2030, it is planned to increase the level of coverage by preschool education to 80.8%. by further expanding the network of preschool institutions, strengthening their material and technical base and building new kindergartens.

It should be especially noted that the reforms carried out in Uzbekistan in the field of education are recognized by the world community. In particular, the World Population Review analyzed the situation in 154 countries to rank the most literate countries in 2021. According to the rating, the literacy rate in Uzbekistan was 100 percent.

In general, it should be noted that human capital is an important factor contributing to economic growth. In this context, quality education is undoubtedly the most effective and shortest path that serves the development of the country. In this context, we can confidently say that reforms in the education system of Uzbekistan are acquiring positive dynamics and will undoubtedly bear fruit in the medium and long term.

A.Yusupov,

Head of Department, ISRS under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan

T.Zikirov,

Leading Researcher, ISRS under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan