Uzbek President Islam Karimov has sent a congratulatory message to teachers on the occasion of their professional day to be marked on 1 October. The text of the message was published by the UzA news agency on 28 October.

In his message, the president mentioned about the government’s efforts to reform the education system in the country.

"Along with constructing, upgrading and properly repairing schools in our country, the secondary and vocational education has been fundamentally reformed; a new educational standard - 12-year general education - has been introduced just like in the most developed states; their material and technical basis has been strengthened; and measures to increase teachers’ wages and promote teachers’ professional development have been taken; in brief, colossal work on improving the education system in line with modern requirements has been done in recent years," he said.

He also said that the government has been allocating great funds from its state budget to the education system.

"Currently, Uzbekistan’s expenses for education account for 12 per cent of its GDP. Meanwhile, other countries’ spending in the this sector does not exceed 3-5 per cent," he said.

He also urged the teachers to train children in the spirit of patriotism. "Especially in the current complicated and troublesome times, when the world is swiftly changing and when the fight for young generation’s minds and hearts is being stepped up, the life itself requires from us not to indulge in tranquillity and be complacent about own achievements, but work hard by setting new and greater tasks. In this complicated situation, only spiritually strong young people, who are educated on the basis of national values and moral standards that are common to the whole mankind and loyal to the motherland and to their people, can resist ideas and sects which are absolutely alien to us," the president said.