Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) —  President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev reviewed proposals aimed at enhancing the teaching of music, physical education, and military-patriotic training in schools.

These issues were discussed during a meeting with educators at the National Institute of Pedagogical Mastery on September 30. The President highlighted the importance of these subjects for the well-rounded development of students and stressed the need to improve their teaching quality.

It was noted that 21% of music teachers in schools have only secondary vocational education, and some lack instrumental skills. This situation stems from the absence of practical training systems and limited collaboration with music and arts schools. Consequently, graduates from cultural universities are often unable to teach in general education schools.

To address this, several steps have been proposed to improve teaching quality.

The plan includes assessing music teachers’ professional competencies, establishing a system for enhancing their skills, developing new teaching materials, and implementing a modern certification process. Drawing on the success of the “Turan School Theater,” creative groups called “Iktidor” will be formed, and university graduates in "Music" and "Art" will be permitted to work in schools.

Additionally, integrating regional music and arts schools with general schools as supporting institutions is seen as vital, with regular competitions planned to identify talented students.

Encouraging youth participation in sports was also identified as a priority.

Currently, schools offer 22 Olympic, 19 non-Olympic, and four national sports. However, physical education teachers lack methodological guides, and there is no systematic approach to student selection.

In response, new materials for physical education will be developed, curricula refined, and a national evaluation system for physical education teachers’ knowledge and skills introduced. From the next academic year, all schools will have sports clubs, and a new ranking system for teachers and a sports rating for schools will be implemented.

Military-patriotic education is also being updated to meet modern requirements, with military instructors and teachers of pre-conscription training set to serve as role models. Currently, around 10,000 teachers cover this subject, yet 27% lack specialization, and 2,750 schools lack suitable facilities.

To enhance this area, responsibility for the subject has been transferred to the Ministry of Defense, with positions to be filled by reserve military personnel. New curricula and guides are in development, and each district and city will establish a "School of Courage" within one of its schools.

Officials presented further plans for implementing these initiatives. The President instructed that teacher training systems in higher education institutions be reviewed, qualifications enhanced, and the quality of education in these targeted fields be improved.