Parents forced to vote for “Initiative Budget”; Teacher punished

A leaked audio message circulating on social media reveals that a teacher at Secondary School No. 8 in Chirchik city allegedly pressured parents to vote for the “Initiative Budget.” The regional Department of Preschool and School Education has responded to the incident.

In the audio, the teacher instructs parents to pick up their children from school around 2:00 PM and insists that they vote for the “Initiative Budget” while at the school.

“Today, when you come to pick up your children at 2:00 PM, everyone should bring their phones. You will vote for the ‘Initiative Budget’ right here. I am tired of hearing from the administration that the 1st ‘A’ class hasn’t voted at all. I don’t care how you vote—whether you bring someone with you or get extra votes from somewhere—but each of you must cast one or two votes,” the teacher’s voice message states.

An investigation by the Chirchik city Department of Preschool and School Education revealed that Secondary School No. 8 underwent a complete renovation in 2024. However, since the school is not fully enclosed by a wall and fence, the administration is participating in the “Initiative Budget” to fund the construction of these facilities.

“With 1,300 students currently attending the school, all teaching staff and students were invited to vote individually. However, no one was forced to vote,” the department stated.

The department further clarified that the teacher, M.L., had acted on his own initiative in attempting to involve parents in the voting process.

“This action was misinterpreted by some parents. The school administration did not impose any strict voting requirements. All votes collected thus far were done voluntarily and transparently,” the report reads.

Despite this, the audio circulating on social media reveals the teacher’s frustration with the school administration's claims that the 1st “A” class had not participated in the voting.

As a result, the teacher was subjected to an explanatory session regarding the situation, and severe disciplinary action was taken against him. Additionally, the school principal was given a warning.

It’s important to note that the “Initiative Budget” projects for the 2025 season were submitted between February 1 and 20, with votes being collected for selected projects from March 11 to 20. The winners will be announced on March 21, coinciding with the Nawruz holiday.

Earlier, Hilola Umarova, the Minister of Preschool and School Education, urged teachers not to pressure parents to vote for the “Initiative Budget” and to report any such occurrences to the Ministry.