The general secondary education system in Uzbekistan is undergoing fundamental changes. This was reported by Upl.uz.
The country has officially begun implementing a 12-year education model. This was announced by the press service of the Ministry of Preschool and School Education.
In the near future, a normative legal document confirming these innovations is expected to be signed. This decision was made as part of a comprehensive program to reform the education sector.
The program was presented to the president on September 8 and envisions a systematic renewal of all stages from preschool to higher education. The transition to 12-year education is being carried out to align with international experience.
The results of the PISA study conducted in 2022 showed that in 85% of countries considered leaders in education, the number of school years is exactly 12. The introduction of the new model will allow adapting curricula to international standards and also enable students to be well-prepared for subsequent stages of education and vocational training.
The updated system structure will be as follows: the first year is designated as a preparatory stage for 6-year-old children, which is considered part of primary education. Primary education will last a total of 5 years, including 1 year of preparation and 4 years of primary school.
The next stage is basic general secondary education, covering grades 5 to 9 and lasting 5 years. The final 2 years constitute complete general secondary education, which will be conducted in schools, academic lyceums, specialized military schools, or technical colleges.
To ensure a smooth transition process and create the necessary infrastructure, about 3,600 new schools will be built and more than a thousand state kindergartens will be opened. It is precisely in these institutions that the updated preparatory program for the youngest students will be piloted.
An interesting point is that information about the transition to 12-year education had been actively discussed on social networks since 2023. However, at that time, the Ministry of Preschool and School Education officially denied these claims, emphasizing that the 11-year education system was in effect.
The current decision shows that approaches at the state level have been reconsidered and there is political will to implement large-scale reforms. In the history of independent Uzbekistan, a 12-year education system has existed before.
From 2010 to 2017, education was organized based on a 9+3 scheme, where students who completed grade 9 were required to continue their studies at vocational colleges and academic lyceums.
