Education, Reformation, Excellence - No Need for Confirmation
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(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...December 5, 2007
Bobur Kommilov, an Uzbekistan Today editor believes the Country has turned into a techno-scientific boom, promises to become an IT-venue
The Information revolution so to speak has changed the way we do business and communicate with each other. As the devices that we use to communicate become more freely available, and more and more people will buy these devices and integrate this technology into their daily lives, both work and for leisure. The digital age enables information and visual images to be broadcasted more easily as the Internet becomes faster and more importantly the ability to record live and bring this new technology of multi media made available to the novice and to people in who live in areas of remoteness or third world countries.
The scale of reforms Uzbekistan has been investing to grow to the level when it can assure the new generation being brought up is certain to meet the demands of international labor market have evoked the interests of a wide range of experts and specialists in labor migration and employment issues. “Uzbekistan Today”Â, as is true of its traditions, continues bringing you the views and expertise of world’s pundits in many areas about the truth that has taken a substantial amount of effort on the part of the nation, but has still been slow in getting worthy recognizing of success from the part of skeptic community. Joseph Cuce, an international education expert from Australia agrees the country has come a long way with its commitment to develop and obtain a worthy note.
—-The government adopted the Law on Education in 1992 to enforce its policy to effectively realize reforms in the sector. As an International education Expert, what are your reflections on how effective these reforms have been? And what are the areas in Education you could note successful or needing further reforms in the future?
—-In these reforms that reflect the standard of education in Uzbekistan, I understand that the public school system here is catering for students whose social economic status is at the lower end.
In my experience as an educator, there will always be this divide between the affluent and the mainstream.
Those who can afford to send their children to ‘Private schools’ or International schools have a distinct advantage over the public school system. Funding of programs enables the students to gain places in Universities and colleges which will ultimately set them up for a fruitful working life. And the experience of Uzbekistan is unique in that it always has in mind those with no economic advantages.
I am well aware of the Educational funding in Uzbekistan, and can say that the state fully realizes the needs to give a strong emphasis to cater for young people who can choose another way to train once they leave school. The apprenticeship system is widely used again in western societies and is gradually being taken advantage of this way to boost the private industry here in Uzbekistan.
—-The New World Development report says the failure to effectively train the younger generation for employment will lead to widespread inadequacies and disillusionment on the part of both employers and young school graduates? What’s you personal reflection on that in view of Uzbekistan?
—-It is a fear that is in the minds of all young people competing for the very few jobs that are available.
If the education that they receive is not adequate than that group of people will not be suitable for jobs that require certain skills and knowledge to do the job.
Employers will look for skilled workers from other countries to fill those positions and obviously what happens is a ‘poorer unemployable class’ is going to increase and rely on social handouts.
An infrastructure with manufacturing, linking with education needs to be encouraged.
This will channel people in a direction where at the end of their education /training they are able to be integrated into the working structure.
One and a very crucial issue for almost all the countries in transition is to understand the urgent challenge of meeting the demands of increasingly changing world for highly qualified personnel with appropriately mastered skills and competence. I believe Uzbekistan is the country with an advanced understanding of the above-mentioned and this subsequently will boost its labor legislation and the system of social protection it has been investing much enough to build.
—–How do you think modern education of Uzbekistan is tackling the demands from employers for much more competent specialists in both communication technologies and for those who are able to bring the mentioned two factors together?
—–It has generally been accepted that achieving sustainable development will require balancing environmental, societal, and economic considerations in the pursuit of development and an improved quality of life. A number of ideals and principles underlying sustainability have been identified. These include intergenerational equity, gender equity, just and peaceable societies, social tolerance, environmental preservation and restoration, poverty alleviation and natural resource conservation. Uzbekistan has identified education as an essential tool for achieving sustainable development and highlighted four areas of action for education.
These include the improvement of the quality of basic education, reorientation existing education programmes to address sustainable development, development of public awareness and understanding as well as providing training for all sectors of private and civil society.
Uzbekistan is heading in this direction and with close ties to other Asian and Eurpoean countries it is preparing the new generation of workers.
—-Don’t you think it is basically on the shoulders of educators to prevent the risk by boosting their policies to provide the corresponding knowledge for youth to potentially be able to eradicate this drawback with the strength of their capability and competence?
—- The global market place is expanding in all western societies and those who are tapping into this are advancing in their ability to communicate locally and throughout the world.
The technology today enables you to diversify to create new employment in remote areas, because the use of ICT technologies. Governments in third world countries and where the frontiers are sparse are starting to join the information age. Those that are still in turmoil because of war or climate change will risk being left behind.
Its full potential will always be there providing the government provides the infrastructure for this to happen. The challenge for the developing world is to have them connected to a grid system for electric power which ultimately enables them to join the information age. Again, I would like to specifically stress the particular choice that Uzbekistan has made. It has stepped back from following this that country’s path of addressing the challenges of the times. It has developed a model of education that does not only fit in to the values and aspirations of the nation, but also provides a successful blend of Uzbek style of originality and internationally recognized standards of excellence. I think this is something that needs to be kept in mind.
—-The values of education in Uzbekistan dates back to ancient times. And it still determines its policy in this regard as humanistic, democratic, prioritizing human values, national and cultural values and separation of education institutions from the influence of political ideologies. How do you think the current factor is likely to add to the efficiency of country’s basic goal - to educate a healthy generation both physically and mentally?
—–After obtaining sovereignty, the Republic of Uzbekistan had chosen to gradually transform itself to a market economy. As the education system was set up in the Soviet era, it would have been unable to support the new economic system of the country and to cope with rapid population growth. The education system needed to adapt to the country’s needs. Soon after independence, the Education Act was promulgated in July in 1992. This Act led to the development of new curricula, textbooks, types of education establishments and procedures for certification and accreditation. Greater emphasis was also put on Uzbek history and literature, and the study of the Arabic script. The Education Act laid down some principles, one of which was the child’s right to education and protection. The school system in Uzbekistan is classified into levels as preschool education, intermediate or general secondary education, specialized secondary education, and higher professional education. The preschool level provides children under 7 years old with preparatory education.
Currently, the Uzbekistan education system is in the process of changing to a new education system. Based on the existing system, there are 9 years of compulsory education and additional 2 year of complete secondary education. Then students may further their education at the university level. And the National Programme of Personnel Training (NPPT) has served as a milestone for Uzbekistan’s education sector to succeed in fully modernizing its capacity to provide quality education and boost the competence of its new generation in meeting the demands of the New Age.
—-There are tens of countries that lack appropriate mechanisms for developing proper norms for their labor markets. And it is the matter of having to transform the experience of transition into something valuable, isn’t it?
—-It is a question of investment. Invest now in your students by providing them with good education professionals, facilities and resources and this will cease to be an issue. Good science, engineering, computer and business graduates tend not to want to work in schools as the pay is often much lower than what they can earn in business or industry. If education professionals have good, competitive salaries, have prestige, feel respected as a teacher and feel supported in terms of facilities, resources and training-then none would leave the profession to seek jobs in industry or business. There is nothing more rewarding than teaching the youth of today how to make a positive difference in the economy and society of tomorrow. A trend peculiar to Uzbekistan from among other governments in transition”¦ I believe other transition countries could sometimes address the existing experience of their Uzbek counterparts in this regard.
The Law signed by the President Islam Karimov “On the National Program for Personnel Training” provides a long-term strategy for strengthening the area, the development of continuous education system and reinforcement of multi-level higher education. It is an excellent initiative and, if fully implemented and carried out, it will serve to address many of the concerns we have discussed in this article. Thank you
—-Thank you.
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