New school counselor position to be introduced in Uzbekistan

Uzbekistan will introduce a new school counselor position to support student initiatives. The issue was discussed on September 8 during a presentation on education system reforms reviewed by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev.

It was announced that a single vertical system will be created to provide students with meaningful leisure time and to help reveal their talents and aspirations. For this purpose, “Kelajak” centers will be established on the basis of the “Barkamol Avlod” children’s school, the Republican Student-Youth Center, and the “Yoshlik” Physical Education and Sports Society. School counselors will work within this framework to support students’ initiatives.

Over the past eight years, the number of places in kindergartens has increased by 2.5 million, with preschool education coverage now reaching 78 percent. To expand this coverage, 20,000 new places are planned to be opened annually. In addition, new multi-storey buildings will include preschool facilities proportional to the number of residents. A dual education and advanced training system will also be introduced for kindergarten specialists with secondary specialized education.

“In districts and cities where preschool education coverage is less than 80 percent, private sector involvement will be encouraged. In particular, public-private partnerships will allow the construction of preschool organizations on vacant sites of kindergartens and schools. Entrepreneurs will receive free land plots and preferential loans for up to seven years, provided the activity is not changed,” the report stated.

Between 2026 and 2028, a new network of preschool educational organizations, “Yangi Avlod,” will be created across 14 regions, including the establishment of an Innovative Center for Child Development. The president also emphasized the need to strengthen technical and engineering education in line with the current and future demands of economic sectors. Engineering schools will be established in 14 regions under the Agency for Specialized Educational Institutions. Admission will be based on exams, and education will be funded by the state. These schools will adopt an engineering program modeled after New Uzbekistan University and the Mirzo Ulugbek Specialized School, following a five-year STEM-based curriculum.

Spiritual and educational work was also highlighted as an integral part of education. However, it was noted that schools currently take different approaches to such activities, with no unified system for organizing meaningful extracurricular engagement. To address this, a single national concept has been developed, covering all stages from kindergarten to higher education. The model plan is expected to improve the quality of spiritual and educational activities while preventing students from being burdened with unnecessary tasks.