Education system in the Republic of Uzbekistan

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Education system in the Republic of Uzbekistan 
During 15 years of independence deep structural and substantial reforms 
and transformations in the syste m of higher education has taken place in the 
Republic of Uzbekistan. Main purpose of these reforms were to provide the 
adequate place of the Republic of Uzbekistan in the world commu nity. Indeed, 
it was imp ossible to provide the independent economy, social an political 
stabilit y, deve lop me nt of intellectual and spirit ual potential of the nation 
witho ut rebuilding the system of education and up bringing. The first President 
of Independent Republic of Uzbekistan Isla m Karimo v, understa nding this 
realit y fro m the first days of independence, stated the necessity of deep 
reforms in the system of educatio n and upbringing of new ge neration. The 
state policy in the field of education that could trans for m it into the prio rity 
sphere has been developed and cond ucted. 
Thus, beginning fro m 1991 the system of educatio n has bee n 
reconstructed according to the requireme nts of independent state meeting the 
needs of the new era. This process was carried out step-by-step in correlatio n 
with the types and for ms of educatio n– pre-scho ol educatio n, secondary scho ol 
education, secondary specialised, profe ssio nal (vocatio nal) educatio n, higher 
education. 
Before the independence 42 higher educatio nal institutio ns, including 
three state Universities (Tashkent, Samarkand and Karakalpak), 14 
pedago gical or langua ge, 9 engineering-technical, 3 agric ultural, 7 medical-
pharmaceutical, 3 culture and arts ins titutions, as well as one econo mical, 
cooperative, physical cult ure and sports we re functioning in the republic. 
Almost half of these institutions were situated in Tashkent (19), the rest were 
in Sa markand-5, Andijan- 4, Bukhara-3. Thus, the third of higher educatio na l 
ins titutio ns of the republic were situated in four cities. 
Existing structural syste m of higher educatio n and fields of its activit y 
did n’t meet the needs and require ments of econo mic, national, natural-
intellectual, spiritual potential of the republic. Preparation of specialists o n 
actual specializatio ns directed to material production were mostly carrie d out 
in centralized higher educatio nal institutio ns. Curricula and teaching progra ms 
on the subjects taught in the educational institutio ns of the republic were 
approve d by the centre-Moscow, and it was not allowed to make any cha nges 
taking into account the regional requireme nts. 
The way to provide the priorit y of educ atio n, transform the educatio n into 
the de mocratic, huma nitaria n, create intellectual-social orie nted syste m 
capable to open all the possibilities of the person was chosen during the first 
years of independenc e. The task was to train the yo ung ge ne ratio n on the basis 
of natio nal traditions and commo n to huma nity values, patriots of their 
country with high moral qualities, as well as comp etent specialists possessing

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up-to-date knowledge and skills in cho sen field, with initiative, and creative 
thinking. The above me ntioned requireme nts were reflected in the decrees o f 
the President, Resolutio ns of the Governme nt as concrete programs of actions 
to reform the syste m of higher educatio n. 
The first docume nt – Decree of the President dated September 17, 1991 
«O n releasing Republican state adminis trative bodies, as well as the syste m of 
public education from political parties » was dedicated to these goals. From 
this date it was prohibited for political parties to interfere with the activity o f 
educational institution. 
Since 1991 the structural reconstruction of higher educationa l institutions 
has been commenced. Three independ ent instit utio ns – the Tas hkent State 
Technical Universit y, the Tas hkent Chemical-Technolo gical Institute and the 
Tashkent Architecture and Building Ins titute were establis hed on the basis o f 
the big Tas hkent Polytechnic Institut e. The Tashkent State Universit y of 
Econo mics and the Tashkent Financial Institute were establis hed on the basis 
of the Tashkent Institute of Public Econo my. The Tashkent State Institute of 
Orie ntal Studies became independent from Tas hkent State Universit y. In 1992 
on the bases of branches of highe r educatio nal institutio ns of Tashkent we re 
establis hed the Jizzakh Polytechnic Institute, the Ka rshi Engineering-
Econo mic Institute, the Nama ngan Engineering-Economic Institute, the Navoi 
State Pedago gical Institute, and on the bases of the appropriate regiona l 
pedago gical institutions were establis hed Andijan, Buk ha ra, Gulistan, Kars hi, 
Nama nga n, Fergha na, Urge nch Universities. The status of Universit y were 
also given to the Tas hkent State Institute of Foreign Languages, the Tas hkent 
Institute of Agric ulture. New higher educational institutio ns were establis hed. 
The Universit y of World Economy and Diplo macy was set up to prepare 
economists and diplomatic personnel of international level. The Tashkent 
Isla m University prepa res specialists on Isla m and rules of Islam. Each higher 
educational ins titutio n had a specific progra mme of reconstruction of form and 
content of education according to its ne w status. 
With the purpose of providing the rene wal of educationa l system the first 
law - «Law on Education» of the Republic of Uzbekistan was adopted on July 
2, 1992. The priority of the sphere of education in social-economic and 
spiritual-cultural deve lop me nt of the country was stated in this law. Main 
directions of educatio nal policy, structure and sys tem of ad ministratio n, rights 
and obliga tio ns of participants of education were defined in this document. 
“The Institute for problems of higher and secondary school” set up on the 
basis of the Resolutio n of the Government of 1995 cons idered to be the basic 
research orga nization dealing wit h the develo pment of perspectives of the 
develop me nt of higher and secondary specialised educ ation, which developed 
its content and regulative-methodical docume nts. 
On the initiative of the Ministry of higher and secondary specialised 
education the creative gr oup to deve lop the co mple x republican programme on

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the develo pme nt of higher educatio n was forme d in 1996. This group, on the 
basis of analysis of local and foreign experie nce, as well as the tendenc y of the 
develop me nt of higher education, worked out the programme in the form of 
“Concept of higher education”. After the discussions in higher educationa l 
ins titutio ns this document was published in republican newspapers for wide 
dis cussion taking into account the wide strata of society. 
Nume rous feed 
backs and proposals confir med the actuality of reconstruction of higher 
education along with all types and for ms of educatio n as a whole system. 
Develop me nt and approbatio n of bachelor’s programme took place in 
1996 in the Tashkent State University. 
Thirst fo r scie nce, educatio n, kno wledge is in the blood of Uzbek people. 
All the time enlightenme nt/spiritual sophisticatio n, qualified educatio n and 
professionalis m of Uzbek people were, and is re maining today as criteria to 
evaluate the person and respect to him. On the initiative and active