From teacher's salary to school uniforms and school textbooks

Yesterday, at an extended press conference held by the Ministry of Preschool and School Education, the minister and her deputies provided detailed answers to a number of topical issues, such as teachers' salaries, school uniforms, textbooks, illegally occupied school buildings, as well as benefits for subject Olympiad winners.

Our activities are discussed every day in every home

Hilola Umarova, who opened the press conference, congratulated journalists and bloggers on the new academic year:

"Our system is very large - we have more than 6.5 million students in our schools, over 2 million children in our preschool educational organizations, and close to one million teaching staff, including technical personnel.

We also work directly with students and parents of our preschool children. This means that our daily activities are discussed almost every day in nearly every household. This aspect, of course, encourages us to work with even greater responsibility," she expressed her opinion.

We are reclaiming illegally occupied school buildings

At the conference, a question was also asked about cases of illegal occupation of school land.

"We must candidly say that such cases are not foreign to the system. In particular, from 2019 to 2022, in 279 schools and out-of-school educational institutions within the system, 93.6 hectares of land were illegally appropriated in 470 instances, based on decisions by citizens and local authorities.

To date, lawsuits have been filed with civil and administrative courts for 256 cases, and 189 court decisions have been ruled in favor of the system.

58 properties have been fully returned to the schools' balance sheets. Take, for example, school No. 27 in the city of Kokand. Two organizations illegally occupied the school building. The Ministry's position is clear: we want to reclaim the schools completely. Currently, efforts are being made in this direction," said Hilola Umarova.

A digital system is being created to provide textbooks

Blogger Zafar Solijonov, participating in the conference, asked a question about textbook provision:

Before you became a minister, the issue of textbooks was quite problematic. There were also many complaints. Has the situation improved now? Can you provide us with information on the provision of textbooks? Are there still issues or have they been completely resolved?

It was answered as follows:

"Indeed, this is one of the most discussed topics. Generally, the plan for textbook delivery is approved in May. Each region places an order based on its needs. The Ministry coordinates and delivers orders by the beginning of the academic year.

Even in September, some students may change their school, while their textbooks will have been delivered to their old school. As a result, some schools end up with excess textbooks, while others face shortages. These situations can lead to various misunderstandings.

Taking this into account, we have established a headquarters in each region for operational work and will try to resolve problems on the spot. It should also be noted that a digital system is currently being developed for textbook provision. This will allow us to address existing problems more quickly," said Hilola Umarova.

Another issue widely discussed at the press conference was the matter of school uniforms.

"Today, many issues related to school uniforms are being discussed. We know that the unified requirements for school uniforms and their wear are regulated by the Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers No. 666 of August 15, 2018.

Additionally, by order of the Ministry No. 282 dated August 31, 2023, we have conveyed our recommendations on students' dress culture to all schools, and based on this, they have developed internal disciplinary rules," Minister Hilola Umarova responded.

When will teachers' salaries exceed $1000?

During the press conference, a question was also asked about when teachers' salaries will exceed $1,000.

"This question is asked everywhere. In general, increasing teachers' salaries is also important for us. We are working on this in constant cooperation with the Ministry of Finance. We should note that today we have teachers who already earn more than $1,000.

For your information, the current average monthly salary of teachers is 3.4 million soums. Compared to the corresponding period in 2023, it has increased by 13.3%. Moreover, teachers of the highest category who receive bonuses from the director's fund and have internationally recognized certificates earn up to 10 million soums.

A monthly bonus of 5.7 million soums is paid from the Minister's Fund. This money is also paid to teachers who pass the tests transparently, and most importantly, there is no limit on the number of teachers. In addition, teachers working in remote areas receive an allowance of up to 3.7 million soums, and those who have won international Olympiads and are currently working as teachers receive up to 4.1 million soums in bonuses.

Currently, the number of teachers in general education schools earning $1,000 or more exceeds 6,000. Year by year, our salaries and the number of teachers working on self-improvement are increasing.

I want all our teachers to earn high salaries. I will try to create conditions for them to work on themselves and achieve worthy accomplishments, and to help them in every way possible," said Minister Hilola Umarova.

How are winners of international science Olympiads rewarded?

During the conference, blogger Khushnudbek Khudoyberdiev mentioned that winners of science Olympiads and sports competitions are being incentivized based on two different standards, and this issue is being discussed on social media. The blogger asked for the ministry leadership's response to this situation.

"Previously, students who won science Olympiads only had the privilege of entering higher educational institutions. With the Presidential decree of 2019, a system of incentives for students who have won science Olympiads, particularly world Olympiads, has been established.

Not only students but also their teachers are rewarded. This system mainly works for Olympiads in 5 subject areas. According to the decision, gold medal winners in international IT, mathematics, physics, chemistry, and biology Olympiads are awarded 500 times the Basic Calculation Amount (BCA). Silver medal winners receive 300 times the BCA, and bronze medal winners receive 200 times the BCA.

It's true that in many cases, sports competitions and science Olympiads are held at the same time. However, it's important to note that science Olympiads are held annually, while the Olympic Games take place once every 4 years," the minister responded. And the Olympics will be held once every 4 years," the minister said.