Sector Assistance Program Evaluation on Education in Uzbekistan

Schooling and student performance.
A general assessment of the teaching–learning 
process discussed here is based on: (i) the SAPE team’s visits to schools; (ii) its discussions 
with teachers, employers, and civil society representatives; (iii) research findings of professional 
education agencies such as the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization 
(UNESCO), and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF);
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and (iv) consultations with 
government officials. Based on the multiple indicator cluster survey (2006), as many as 98% of 
the school-age cohort are attending schools regularly, and the number of pupils attending 
schools has now stabilized in step with Uzbekistan’s demographic transition. The number of 
students in grades 1–9 declined from 5.6 million in 2001 to 5.3 million in 2007 as the school-age 
cohort shrank. A UNICEF review (2009, p. vii) concludes: “The rates of schooling at all levels, 
from preschool to higher education, are above those of the group, and pupil-teacher ratios are 
closer to those of rich countries than to those of their reference group.” The Government of 
Uzbekistan apparently has succeeded in ensuring high levels of enrollment.
30. 
Strengthening the teaching–learning process is the next step in which the sector has 
made noticeable progress. Textbooks have been made available to pupils. Information and 
communication technology (ICT) is being provided in the classroom and, most importantly, 
teacher salaries have been increased significantly over the last few years. Salaries rose by 50% 
in 2007 and by 65% in 2008. Employees confirmed this during SAPE visits. With a teacher–
pupil ratio of slightly more than 12 pupils per teacher, the system is well endowed. More 
importantly, pedagogic improvements are being pursued.
31. 
School performance indicators manifest themselves in many ways but are usually 
judged effective in terms of: (i) graduates’ employability (referred to in this report as external 
efficiency); and (ii) the quality of learning, skills and competencies. It seems that the rate of 
graduate unemployment in Uzbekistan is low compared with other countries and, more 
importantly, it declined from 2.4% in 2000 to 1.2% in 2005. As the pace of economic growth has 
picked up during the last 4–5 years, one can expect even greater improvement. As to the quality 
of learning, skills, and competencies, participation in the Programme for International Student 
Assessment and the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study is reportedly under 
consideration. This will provide the benchmark for Uzbekistan’s education development in 
comparison to other countries, especially after the country has adopted the child-centered 
schooling methodology.
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32. 
Improvement of students’ school performance in Uzbekistan is also reflected in the 
declining trend of repetition rates among grades 1–11 (Figure 3). The total repetition rate 
(republic) has fallen from 0.05 in 2001 to 0.02 in 2006. Total repetition rates in urban and rural 
areas have also declined, although rates in urban areas are higher or twice the overall rates 
(from 0.11 in 2001 to 0.04 in 2006), while rates in rural areas are lower (from 0.02 in 2001 to 
0.01 in 2006). Repetition rates are lower in grades 1–4 and higher in grades 10–11 (Table 3). 
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Footnote 22, pp. 56–57. 
27
J. F. Pfaffe and F. Orivel. 2009. Review and Assistance in Strategic Development of the Education Programme – In 
Preparation for the Next Government of Uzbekistan-UNICEF Country Programme of Cooperation 2010–2015.
Tashkent: UNICEF. See also footnote 22 (Kazakhstan) (final mission report, September). 
28
J. F. Pfaffe. 2009. Summative Evaluation of the Child-Friendly Schools Project (2006–2008), Uzbekistan. Tashkent: 
UNICEF (final evaluation report, June). 

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