90th Anniversary of the National Institute of Pedagogical Mastery named after A. Avloni: How was the international conference held?

On November 15 of this year, an international scientific and practical conference dedicated to the 90th anniversary of the National Institute of Pedagogical Mastery named after Abdulla Avloniy was held on the topic "Skilled teacher - the support of the nation: modern trends in continuous professional development."

It was attended by Minister of Preschool and School Education Hilola Umarova, Special Advisor to the Secretary General of the Economic Cooperation and Development Organization for Education Policy Andreas Schleicher, Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation of the Republic of Uzbekistan Kongratboy Sharipov, Acting Director of the Republican Scientific and Methodological Center for the Development of Education Yuliya Risyukova, Regional Director of the World Bank for Central Asia Tatiana Proskuryakova, Head of the UNESCO Representative Office in Tashkent Sara Noshadi, UNICEF Representative in Uzbekistan Regina Maria Castillo.

Andreas Schleicher, a participant in the conference, is the initiator and administrator of the PISA and other international programs, and has been working closely with government leaders and ministers of education around the world to improve the quality of education and ensure equality for more than 20 years.

Currently, he serves as a special adviser to the Secretary General of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) on education policy, Director of Education and Skills, and has undertaken significant work to update educational policies and practices for policymakers, researchers, and educators from different countries. Andreas Schleicher helps to assess the educational environment and practices in schools within the framework of the International Study of Teaching and Learning in our country (TALIS).

The Abdulla Avloni Institute was first established 90 years ago on May 4, 1934, on the basis of a training course for primary school teachers under the name of the Institute for Advanced Training of Public Education Personnel in Uzbekistan.

Since the 1950s, institutions for professional development were established in the regions, and on September 22, 1964, the institute was granted the status of a Central Institute. The Central Institute also provided assistance in improving the qualifications of teachers of schools with Uzbek language of instruction in the republics of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan.

Following independence, in accordance with the Decree of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Uzbekistan No. 169 of April 6, 1992, the Central Institute for Advanced Training of Public Education Workers was named after Abdulla Avloni.

Based on the Decree of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan No. 231 of June 21, 2024, the National Institute of Pedagogical Mastery named after A. Avloni was established on the basis of the National Research Institute for Professional Development and Training of Teachers in New Methods named after A. Avloni, and the buildings and structures of the institute were completely rebuilt.

The activities of the institute have expanded, and management training courses have been introduced, aimed at acquiring the necessary skills for a modern manager. Over the past year, a reserve of more than 1,200 national leaders has been formed.

The international conference, dedicated to the 90th anniversary of the institute, was organized by the National Institute of Pedagogical Mastery named after A. Avloni in cooperation with the Ministry of Preschool and School Education of the Republic of Uzbekistan and the World Bank.

Within the framework of the conference, branches were established in the following areas:

• Innovative approaches to the continuous professional development of managerial and pedagogical personnel based on the principle of "lifelong learning";

• The significance of international PISA research in developing 21st-century skills and ensuring globalization in education;

• Digital transformation in education and trends in education based on artificial intelligence;

• Modern research, pedagogical achievements, and successful projects in inclusive education;

• Education and morality as an integral part of education: the formation of ideological immunity in young people, pedagogical conditions for the upbringing of students.

Andreas Schleicher, Special Advisor to the Secretary General of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) on Education Policy, made a presentation at the conference.

I visited Uzbekistan two years ago," says Andreas Schleicher, special adviser to the Secretary General of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development on education policy.

Since then, I have witnessed many reforms in the field of education in your country. Of course, education and upbringing play a significant role in the country's socio-economic growth. Schools in Uzbekistan pay great attention to this. I was also pleased that they were preparing to participate in the PISA research. We all understand the importance of improving the qualifications and knowledge of teachers.

During the conference, experienced experts in the field of education from the USA, Finland, Germany, Singapore, Russia, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, as well as researchers, researchers and specialists working in Uzbekistan made presentations on topics such as ensuring the quality of education, professional development of school leaders and teachers.

Within the framework of the conference, Minister of Preschool and School Education Hilola Umarova met with Andreas Schleicher, a special adviser to the Secretary General of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development on educational policy.

Andreas Schleicher in his speech:

"We all know that next year PISA 2025 will be held, and it is expected that Uzbek students will also participate in it. I believe that the large-scale educational reforms being carried out in your country will also be effective in these processes.

The results of the TALIS 2024 study will also be announced in 2025. I am confident that the role and level of knowledge of Uzbek youth will be adequately assessed in these analyses, which reflect the quality and results of education in schools," he said.

After this meeting, Andreas Schleicher gave an interview to the TV channel "Uzbekistan 24" and the publication xalqtaliminfo.uz, and the memorable gift from the publication xalqtaliminfo.uz was presented to him by the head of the site Ulugbek Pulatov.

We believe that the conference gave scientists, teachers and specialists working in the field of education the opportunity to discuss their research, projects and exchange experience.