Principal forces teachers to pull grass in Namangan

The headmaster of the 43rd school in the Pop district of Namangan region summoned the teachers to the educational center and compelled them to perform tasks outside their responsibilities, such as pulling grass, clover, and weeds on the school grounds, despite the school being on vacation. The teachers reported this to QALAMPIR.UZ.
 
According to the materials provided, the school director, M. Marasulova, demanded 500,000 soums from teachers who refused to perform the aforementioned menial tasks. Furthermore, she forced the teachers to collect money from the students' parents.

"Sister, I'm not healthy, I can't work, while those who paid 500,000 soums are relaxing and staying at home. It's not too late for those who plan to work and look after the masters and leave at 4:00 p.m. Think about it. Anyway, there's nothing you can do here. Work as if you were working at home. Are you working on my farm? The hand touched—the hoe did not touch, work well. You are earning your bread at this school," the school director said.

Additionally, the director requested 20,000 soums from each teacher for lunch or ordered them to brew a pot of tea and bake two loaves of bread at home.

"I will split everything into three. Whether it costs 20,000, 25,000, or 100,000 soums, 1.5 kg of soup costs 45,000 soums. Even if you bring two loaves of bread from home, one melon or watermelon, and one pot of tea. If you do not agree to this, I will deduct it from your August salary and pay the foremen," the director said.

The director confirmed that the school is not privately owned but is state-run. She stated that she was obligated to provide soup to all the foremen and that she would terminate the employment contract of anyone who refused to work.

"For 20,000 soums, I will cancel your employment contract," she said.

QALAMPIR.UZ reached out to the director of school 43 regarding the situation. The director acknowledged having a dispute with some teachers, who then filed a complaint. She claimed not to be the initiator of these directives and declined to specify whose orders they were. However, she added that she would personally work in the schoolyard alongside the teachers.

"I will clean those areas myself. Now, after receiving their salaries, they should find something to do. There's no work inside the school. It's the same everywhere. Election processes have begun. Those who come to supervise will see the improvements," said the director.

For information, under the law that enhances the responsibility for preventing pedagogic employees from performing their duties, if the offense is committed against an educational organization's pedagogic employee, it will result in a fine of 100 to 150 times the base calculation amount.

Furthermore, according to the relevant decision of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan on August 14, 2018, public education workers cannot be involved in work unrelated to their service obligations, including forced labor, beautification and greening of district and urban areas, seasonal agricultural work, or any other prohibited tasks.

The Cabinet of Ministers adopted the decision "On Additional Measures to Eliminate Forced Labor in the Republic of Uzbekistan."
 
QALAMPIR.UZ also contacted the Ministry of Preschool and School Education regarding the situation. According to the ministry, the actions of the director are currently under scrutiny.