"We have not issued an order to dismiss teachers who do not have a B2 certificate" - Ministry

It is known that English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Turkish, Persian, Pashto, Dari, Urdu, and Hindi are considered languages. That is, teachers who teach these languages are considered foreign language teachers.

Clause 9 of Cabinet of Ministers Resolution No. 312 of May 19, 2021, stipulates that all foreign language teachers working in general secondary, secondary specialized, and vocational educational institutions until the 2025/2026 academic year must have a national or equivalent international certificate of at least the B2 level.

The Ministry of Preschool and School Education also issued a strict warning to foreign language teachers about the need to obtain B2 level certificates by the 2025/2026 academic year.

Later, regional preschool and school education departments issued official instructions to general secondary school principals, requesting them to provide analytical information about foreign language teachers working in schools.

Meanwhile, school principals issued warning letters about the termination of employment contracts with teachers who do not have the appropriate certificate.

Following this, the Republican Council of the Trade Union of Education and Science Workers of Uzbekistan sent a request to the Ministry of Preschool and School Education to clarify that such a situation contradicts labor legislation.

The Ministry of Preschool and School Education responded to a letter from the Republican Council of the Trade Union of Education and Science Workers of Uzbekistan regarding the B2 certificate, stating that no official instruction has been given to regional departments and system organizations to terminate employment contracts with foreign language teachers who do not have a national or equivalent international certificate of at least B2 level in terms of foreign language proficiency, starting from the current academic year.

According to the Ministry, according to Article 10 of the Labor Code, labor legislation consists of this Code and other legislative acts regulating individual labor relations and directly related social relations.

Article 19 of this Code establishes that the employee and the employer are subjects of individual labor relations.

Accordingly, the conclusion, amendment, and termination of an employment contract in the manner and under the conditions stipulated by the Labor Code and other laws must be resolved directly between the subjects of individual labor relations.

According to Article 23 of the Law of the Republic of Uzbekistan "On Education," the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Uzbekistan implements a unified state policy in the field of education.

According to paragraph 9 of the Cabinet of Ministers Resolution No. 312 of May 19, 2021, "On Measures for the Effective Organization of the Popularization of Foreign Language Learning," all foreign language teachers working in general secondary, secondary specialized, and vocational educational institutions until the 2025/2026 academic year must have a national or equivalent international certificate of at least the B2 level.

The Ministry also emphasized that for students to receive quality education and acquire language skills at the appropriate level, it is important that the level of knowledge of the teachers who teach them (and at the same time, having the appropriate certificate as the basis for the level of language proficiency) be sufficient.