Shortcomings in public education system analyzed, priority tasks defined
President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev has held a meeting dedicated to discussion of priority tasks in public education system.
On March 2, President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev held a meeting dedicated to discussion of priority tasks in public education system.
From the very beginning of his activity as President, the Head of the state has repeatedly noted the problem of personnel in the country and the need in almost all areas for modern specialists corresponding to a given pace of reforms.
To this end, the entire education system is fundamentally improved. Preschool education is developing. Taking into account international experience and modern requirements, the quality of general secondary education is increasing.
More than 160 secondary schools have been built in the country over the past three years. Such innovative education institutions as Presidential schools, specialized schools named after the great ancestors, scientists, creative schools, and Temurbeklar Maktabi schools have been organized.
Along with this, teachers’ salaries have increased by an average of 2.5 times over the past three years. Allowances have been introduced for teachers working in remote areas.
On November 26, 2019, the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan signed a resolution “On measures for creating “Modern schools”. The document defines the main parameters for transformations of at least 3 percent of general education institutions into “Modern Schools” by 2021, 20 percent by 2025, and 50 percent by 2030.
All this became the first stage of reforming the sphere in the medium and long term.
In his Address to the Oliy Majlis in January this year, the President noted the need for improving school curricula based on international best practices, revising the education load and subjects studied, bringing them in line with international standards, improving the quality of textbooks and educational literature. The Head of the state set the task to improve the material and technical support of schools, to apply modern pedagogical technologies in the educational process.
At the meeting, issues of building a new type of schools and modernizing the existing ones, teacher training were discussed.
Currently, 2,835 out of 9,942 schools are in need of repair, training is carried out in two shifts in 5,861 schools due to congestion. This year, it is planned to build 36 new schools and overhaul 211.
The Ministry of Construction was instructed to ensure construction of schools based on modern architectural achievements, using advanced energy-saving technologies.
Practical classes in the laboratory play an important role in obtaining qualitative education.
However, today 683 classes of physics, 897 classes of chemistry and 901 classes of biology do not have educational and laboratory equipment. Equipment of 7,807 classes of physics, 7,776 of chemistry and 7,770 of biology is outdated. 62 thousand classes are not provided with modern equipment, 7 thousand computers are missing.
In this regard, it is required to equip school laboratories with new equipment and increase the number of classes.
Accordingly, the ministries of public education and finance were instructed to critically examine the equipment of schools and provide them with modern laboratory, computer equipment, sports equipment and other necessary means.
The need for developing practical skills in teaching exact sciences and increasing attention to interactive classes was noted.
Only 10 percent of the teaching time is allocated to practical classes in mathematics, chemistry, physics, and biology in schools. This figure is 30-50 percent in developed countries.
In this regard, the ministries of public education and development of information technologies and communications have been tasked to widely use digital technologies, increase the share of practical classes in educational programs in the exact sciences.
Special attention was paid to issues of improving the knowledge and qualifications of teaching staff.
It was noted that during the last year’s certification, which was attended by nearly 57 thousand teachers and mentors, 43 percent of the attendees received low marks, and the national average amounted to 64 points out of 100.
Instructions were given on improving the system of advanced training for teachers and updating the methodological support.
The importance of providing schools with fiction, giving new content to the lessons of music, fine art and physical education in primary grades with the aim of educating children as spiritually and physically harmoniously developed individuals was emphasized.
Responsible persons provided information on the issues discussed at the meeting.
