Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- Today, the Ministry of Preschool and School Education, together with the Global Partnership for Education (GPE), UNICEF, national and international partners, presented the roadmap for education reform for 2023-2026. National and international education experts are discussing the next steps to implement and monitor the Roadmap.

The roadmap is a critical tool for accelerating the reform of the education sector in Uzbekistan in order to ensure equitable access to quality education. This document defines clear measurable priorities with results and goals until 2026 for the reform of preschool and school education in accordance with the Development Strategy until 2026.

Development partners reaffirmed their commitment to support the implementation of the roadmap, including through the mobilization of over US$580 million to be invested in support of education over the next three years.

“The development of the roadmap is a logical and important step to ensure the implementation of the reform agenda in cooperation with our development partners. It is expected that the developed Roadmap for the education sector will not only strengthen the coordination between various stakeholders in the education sector, but will also allow scaling up the most effective solutions,” said Hilola Umarova, Minister of Preschool and School Education.

An additional 620,000 preschool places will be required to achieve 80% enrollment for children aged 3 to 6. By 2026, public education will need about 1.2 million school places.

“I would like to congratulate the Ministry of Preschool and School Education of Uzbekistan for its leadership in developing the roadmap. The roadmap is the result of a participatory process involving more than 150 partners. The joint approval of the roadmap marks an important step towards transforming the education system for all girls and boys in Uzbekistan,” said Laura Frigenti, Executive Director of the Global Partnership for Education (GPE).

The development of the roadmap was caused by a lack of coordination between partner organizations. This agreement now brings together 54 partner organizations and provides a clear program for the reform of the education sector. This document is based on such principles as ethics, integrity, anti-corruption, fairness and the realization of human rights.

“High-quality human capital is the foundation of a nation’s growth. To turn existing demographic opportunities into dividends, Uzbekistan, together with development partners, must continue to prioritize investment in education. In the process of developing the Roadmap, important steps were identified in this direction,” said Munir Mammadzade, head of the UNICEF Office in Uzbekistan. “Achieving this requires equally large investments in expanding and modernizing preschool and school infrastructure, as well as improving access to quality inclusive education,” he stressed.

In light of the announcement by the President of Uzbekistan of 2023 as the Year of Social Protection and Quality Education, the current launch of the Roadmap does not represent the end of the planning process, but the beginning of the path to achieving higher educational outcomes. Effective cooperation between the government and development partners contributes to the improvement of an education system based on equity and in which the child is at the center.