On January 26, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev reviewed the presentation on measures aimed at improving the quality of school education.

There are 10,284 schools in our country. In recent years, ongoing efforts have been made to improve school conditions and expand the number of student places. On average, 400,000 students graduate from schools per year, and 170,000 of them continue their education. In developed countries, more than 50 % of school graduates enter professional educational institutions.

208 schools now offer vocational training in three areas for high school students. President noted the increasing number of school students with foreign language certificates, a noteworthy rise from 6,000 to 18,000 in the past two years. 

Nonetheless, it is necessary to continue these works consistently. Improving the quality of education is an ongoing process.

The presentation discussed the necessary measures. The assessment system at schools was a key component of the presentation.

Currently, 500 schools in the regions have introduced the assessment system of Presidential and specialized schools.      As a result, the share of practical exercises involving critical thinking, problem-solving, and teamwork skills, which are based on advanced foreign experience, increased to 60 percent.

The president emphasized the need to align this assessment system with international testing criteria by the upcoming academic year. The schools will undergo accreditation. This will serve to introduce international assessment criteria into the national system hence improving the quality of education and school management.

Addressing the issue of improving the level of knowledge and skills of teachers, outdated methods of work and low scientific potential of professional development centers were noted. In this regard, the task was set to transform these centers in 14 regions and introduce professional development programs for teachers.

The necessity of improving school curricula on foreign languages and aligning them with the curricula of higher education institutions was stressed. The practice of intensive teaching of foreign languages should be expanded.

As is known, the number of private schools in the country is increasing. This serves to reduce the burden on public schools and promote healthy competition. In this regard, proposals have been made to simplify licensing requirements for private schools further and provide them with additional benefits on loans, taxes, and utility bills. A platform for monitoring the activities of private educational organizations and the quality of education is determined to be established.

As noted at the meeting, it is necessary to organize a project office to implement reforms in all levels of education based on a single concept. The center will be responsible for developing educational standards and programs, based on best practices, for preschool, school, vocational, and higher education.

The Head of state noted the importance of chairpersons and mahalla activists’ active participation in the life of schools.

“The future of mahalla and the employment of the population largely depend on the education and upbringing of young people. Therefore, it is important that the chairman of the mahalla and parents participate more actively in the life of the school and be more attentive to issues of education and acquisition of a profession by young people”, Shavkat Mirziyoyev said.

Indeed, school is a matter not only of education authorities, but also of parents, mahalla activists, and society. Since school is the foundation of the country’s future. The same truth underlies the proverb “Seven mahallas are responsible for one child”. Then parents will pay more attention to their children’s education which is very important in today’s globalized world.