Uzbekistan engages armed forces reserve to bolster military patriotism education in schools

In a recent initiative to enhance military patriotism in schools, the teaching of primary military training will now fall under the jurisdiction of Uzbekistan's Ministry of Defense. This change means that soldiers from the Armed Forces reserve will take on this instructional role in schools. President Shavkat Mirziyoyev announced the policy shift today, November 7, during a presentation aimed at elevating the standards of music, physical education, and military patriotism programs in educational institutions.

Patriotism is increasingly vital, President Mirziyoyev noted, underscoring that military training teachers should serve as models of this value.

Currently, approximately 10,000 educators handle military training in schools, yet around 27 percent lack specialized qualifications and about 2,750 schools face resource shortages for this subject.

To address these gaps, primary training instruction will officially transition to the Ministry of Defense, with reserved military personnel stepping into teaching positions.

A new curriculum and updated textbooks for military training are set to be developed, alongside the launch of the "School of Courage" program, which will be established at one school per district or city.

The presentation also covered broader efforts to improve educator training, qualification standards, and teaching quality in higher education institutions.

In addition, the Ministry is focusing on expanding youth participation in mass sports, encompassing 22 Olympic, 19 non-Olympic, and 4 national sports within school programs. Plans include producing detailed methodological guides for physical education teachers, enhancing training programs, and introducing a national evaluation system to gauge the expertise of physical education instructors.

Starting next academic year, school sports clubs will be incrementally established nationwide. This expansion will be accompanied by new criteria for teacher categorization and a school sports rating system.

Earlier, it was also announced that graduates of music and art programs from higher educational institutions will soon be permitted to work in schools.