Alleged suicide of teacher over B2 certificate denied by authorities

Reports have circulated on social media claiming that a female teacher in Fergana region hanged herself due to severe pressure over the lack of a foreign language certificate. The regional Department of Preschool and School Education has denied the allegations.

According to the department, the claims are untrue. An internal review found no such incident in general secondary schools in the Fergana region.

Social media posts alleged that the woman had been threatened with dismissal for not possessing a B2-level foreign language certificate and had been placed under intense pressure.

Previously, the Republican Council of the Trade Union of Education and Science Workers of Uzbekistan appealed to the Ministry of Preschool and School Education, requesting that foreign language teachers without a B2-level certificate not be dismissed.

The appeal referred to paragraph 9 of the Cabinet of Ministers’ resolution “On measures to effectively organize the popularization of foreign language learning.” It stipulates that by the 2025/2026 academic year, all foreign language teachers in general secondary, secondary specialized, and vocational institutions must hold a national or equivalent international certificate of at least B2 level. However, the resolution does not include provisions for terminating employment contracts.

The trade union stated that terminating contracts with teachers lacking the required certification would be illegal. It also urged the ministry to instruct regional organizations and employers to halt dismissals of such teachers by August 11 this year, to discipline responsible officials who do so, and to draft proposals for amending paragraph 9 of Resolution No. 312 dated May 19, 2021. The council emphasized that there is insufficient legal basis for discrimination against foreign language teachers.