Why did they return to the 5-year professional development system?

We all remember very well that until 2021, teacher training was based on a certain periodicity. In other words, teachers were sent to improve their qualifications every 5 years, and school principals were sent to improve their qualifications every 3 years.

In the previous 5-year system, cases of paperwork and corruption were rampant. The educators who went out for advanced training had "significant expenses." It was impossible not to spend money on the successful "closing" of the course. Requirements such as testing after completing a professional development course and protecting a qualification work created a corrupt system.

"School administrators were so stressed that [their] [days] were spent only memorizing tests. After that, if the school leaders were able to successfully pass each test block, there would be a qualification work. School leaders would write a qualification work out of 60, 65 sheets without sleeping through the night," said one of the teachers who expressed a negative opinion about the 5-year system.

"I think that the previous training was under a fear, a lot of stress, a lot of pressure. Because I have experienced this process on my own. The preparation for these tests, such excitement, such fear for four weeks weighed heavily on us," another teacher commented.

Why was the 5-year professional development system abandoned?

At that time, there were several reasons for abandoning the previous system based on periodicity. That is, firstly, the system is corrupt, and secondly, it was concluded that the knowledge and skills acquired during the short-term one-month professional development course are insufficient for the teacher to effectively conduct their activities over the next 5 years, and by the Decree of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan dated January 25, 2021, No. PP-4963, a system of continuous professional development was established from 2021.

After that, starting in 2021, teachers were given the opportunity to improve their qualifications at any time and anywhere. In the process of implementing the new system, teachers were allowed to study various forms of professional development, namely, distance learning, self-study, and traditional learning. In addition, graduation qualification papers, one-off entrance and exit tests were also canceled. Teachers were given the opportunity to choose the order of professional development based on their needs.

One of the most popular forms of professional development in the new system among teachers was the distance, i.e., online form of professional development through the "Continuous Professional Education" electronic platform.

The advantage of online professional development is explained by factors such as creating convenience for teachers located far from the regional professional development center and preventing the problem of distributing lessons from teachers who have gone to professional development for 1 month to other teachers.

What was the drawback of the online professional development system?

Unfortunately, some teachers did not even tolerate watching video lessons posted on the online platform and began to buy advanced training certificates for money.

Groups of "hard-working" teachers, various telegram channels, began to offer to get a certificate of professional development for a certain amount of money. That is, the "business" of "reading" and obtaining a certificate instead of teachers from the online platform has increased.

This was mentioned by the Minister of Preschool and School Education Hilola Umarova during her visit to the National Institute of Pedagogical Mastery named after A. Avloni.

"Unfortunately, the processes of professional development and teacher retraining have become unsatisfactory, and unfortunately, teachers took certificates without participating in the retraining process at all for certain fees. Wherever the quality comes from. We must radically change the activities of the A. Avloniy Research Institute, which is considered our most important link," Minister Umarova said at the time.

How will the re-introduced 5-year professional development system work now?

As you know, by the Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers No. 867 of December 20, 2024, a new Regulation "On the procedure for organizing the continuous professional development of employees of preschool and school educational organizations" was approved.

According to the Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers No. 867 of December 20, 2024, starting from January 1, 2025, a vertical system of continuous professional development of employees of preschool and school educational organizations (ministry - professional development institution - educational organization) has been established.

An employee shall not be involved in professional development during their leave or temporary incapacity for work.

Annually until October 15 in the preschool, general secondary, Specialized school and extracurricular educational organizations teacher who is trained by his supervisor in the next calendar year and specialist staff information on an electronic platform through the introduction, an order for professional development is formed.

This provides for the period of previous professional development of a teacher or specialist employee, as well as the need for an average of 20 percent of the organization's employees to improve their qualifications annually.

The management of the district (city) department of preschool and school education ensures and controls the inclusion of all preschool, school and out-of-school educational institutions in the system, as well as every employee working in the district (city) department of preschool and school education, in the relevant order for advanced training.

Furthermore, a method for determining and evaluating the level of knowledge and practical skills of the trainee after completing a specific section (module) of the training program during the professional development course, i.e., a form of intermediate control, is also envisaged.

Intermediate, final certification and final control tests will be organized

Now, evaluation processes are also being introduced in the form of final certification, that is, the final control test at the end of professional development courses, qualification work or defense of the final work, which consists of completing assignments on the application of advanced pedagogical methods and technologies.

At the end of the course, teachers who have completed professional development courses will have to pass the final control test, a method for assessing the level of assimilation of theoretical knowledge and practical skills in the subjects included in its program.

In this case, if the trainee of the advanced training course demonstrates a positive result in all types of control (intermediate, final) provided for in the course curriculum, the course curriculum is considered fully mastered.

A trainee who fails to score enough points in the intermediate controls is given the opportunity to re-submit (after one day) with the permission of the head of the educational organization for professional development. Listeners who have not completed the interim control assignments are not allowed for final control.

If the trainee does not achieve a positive result in the final assessment of the professional development course, they are given the opportunity to re-submit once every two months to the final assessment commission created in the educational institution of professional development.

The final certification of the professional development course is conducted in the form of a final control test and an assessment of the qualification work consisting of completing assignments for the application of advanced pedagogical methods and technologies.

If the listener does not achieve a positive result in the final certification of the professional development course, they are given the opportunity to re-submit once every two months to the final certification commission created in the educational organization of professional development.

The final certification of teachers of applied disciplines (musical culture, fine arts and drawing, technology) can be conducted in the form of a final control test and practical assignments for the corresponding subject.

Students who have fully mastered the advanced training program will be issued an electronically generated document (certificate) of the state model and certified with an electronic digital signature (QR code) by the educational institution that organized the course.

In general, it was determined that teachers who went to improve their qualifications will be involved in the intermediate control, final certification and final control test.

For reference: In the previous system, if the trainee of the advanced training course collected certain credits provided for in the course curriculum and showed a positive result in the specified types of control, the course curriculum was considered fully mastered.

A student who fails to score enough points in the controls will be given the opportunity to reapply during the course. There was no requirement for qualification work or graduation work, or rather, such a system was abandoned.

Continuous professional development events will also be organized throughout the year

Teachers will continue to improve their qualifications not only in 5 years, but also throughout the year, within the framework of continuous professional development measures. The continuous professional development activities for teachers of general education institutions consist of the annual events "Days of Professional Development" and "Hours of Professional Development," organized between professional development courses.

How are the events "Day of Professional Development" and "Hour of Professional Development" organized?

Some categories of teachers will be allowed to improve their qualifications through an electronic platform

Women with young children under the age of three, pensioners and teachers and specialists with disabilities can independently improve their qualifications through the electronic platform in accordance with the decision of the pedagogical councils of preschool and school educational organizations and their application.

In this case, the educational organization for professional development is a preschool and school institution the decision of the pedagogical councils of educational organizations and the decision of the pedagogical and independent qualification of the listener based on the application of specialist staff issue a corresponding order to increase the number of employees.

The final certification of students who are scheduled for independent professional development is carried out by a commission established in an educational organization for professional development is directly organized by. Their interim controls will be organized through an electronic platform.

Listeners who have fully mastered the program of the advanced training course in the form of self-education and received a positive assessment at the final attestation will be issued a certificate in the prescribed manner.

It is difficult to give a clear answer to the question whether this system is not corrupt as before. Once the new system is launched, it is also possible that the previous problems will reappear. However, we hope that the Ministry of Preschool and School Education has taken the necessary measures to prevent such situations. We will continue this topic and return to this topic shortly.