# Education in Uzbekistan

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Education in Uzbekistan is generally managed by the Ministry of preschool and school education of the Republic of Uzbekistan with some other agencies and bodies responsible in certain areas as prescribed by the President of Uzbekistan.
The public compulsory school system is divided into two broad stages: primary (from Grade 1 to 4) and secondary (from Grade 5 to 11). Students are typically enrolled at the age of 7 and commonly end their secondary education at the age of 18, therefrom they either start their career or matriculate at a university.
Upper or vocational education is provided through a network of schools:
* Professional Technical School. Graduates receive a Junior Specialist Diploma equal to a Certificate of Complete Secondary Education.
* Technical College. Graduates receive a Junior Specialist Diploma equal to a Certificate of Complete Secondary Education.
* Lyceum or various training courses offered by higher education institutions or industry. Graduates receive a Junior Specialist Diploma or Diploma of Academic Lyceum equal to a Certificate of Complete Secondary Education.
In 2017, education reforms in Uzbekistan changed from 12-year program to 11 years after a previous reform disappointed and troubled parents and children. Eleven years of primary and secondary education are obligatory, starting at age seven. The rate of attendance in those grades is high, although the figure is significantly lower in rural areas than in urban centers. Preschool registration has decreased significantly since 1991.

## Structure
### General

Language of instruction in 2021, accorting to Ministry of Education.
| | Total | Uzbek | Karakalpak | Turkmen | Tajik | Kyrgyz | Kazakh | Russian | Other languages |
| Karakalpakstan | 352,298 | 152,360 43.24% | 125,565 35.64% | 10,347 2.93% | - 0% | - 0% | 20,411 5.79% | 43,615 12.38% | - 0% |
| Andijan Region | 572,250 | 514,702 89.94% | - 0% | - 0% | - 0% | 2689 0.46% | - 0% | 54.675 9,55% | 144 0.02% |
| Bukhara Region | 324,847 | 303,963 93.57% | - 0% | - 0% | 8 0,002% | - 0% | 684 0.21% | 20,192 6.21% | - 0% |
| Fergana Region | 673,187 | 603,412 89,63% | - 0% | - 0% | 15.275 2,26% | 489 0,07% | - 0% | 53.867 8% | 144 0,02% |
| Jizzakh Region | 255,854 | 238,882 93,36% | - 0% | - 0% | 1109 0,43% | 3936 1,53% | 67 0,02% | 11,860 4,63% | - 0% |
| Kashkadarya Region | 633,156 | 604,991 95,55% | - 0% | - 0% | 11,039 1,74% | - 0% | - 0% | 17,126 2,70% | - 0% |
| Khorezm Region | 359,655 | 333,255 92,58% | - 0% | 555 0,15% | - 0% | - 0% | 216 0,06% | 25,629 7,12% | - 0% |
| Namangan Region | 510,948 | 466,127 91,22% | - 0% | - 0% | 1123 0,21% | 289 0,05% | - 0% | 43,409 8,49% | - 0% |
| Navoiy Region | 183,051 | 158,416 86,53% | 285 0,15% | - 0% | 760 0,41% | - 0.06% | 8355 4,56% | 15,241 8,32% | 0 0% |
| Samarkand Region | 745,705 | 680,536 91,26% | - 0% | - 0% | 8684 1,16% | - 0% | - 0% | 56,485 7,57% | - 0.01% |
| Surxondaryo Region | 509,355 | 480,497 94,33% | - 0% | - 0% | 19,715 3,87% | - 0% | - 0% | 9143 1,79% | - 0% |
| Sirdaryo Region | 156,208 | 145,482 93,13% | - 0% | - 0% | 721 0,46% | - 0% | 57 0,03% | 9948 6,36% | - 0% |
| Tashkent City | 481,750 | 264,654 54,93% | - 0% | - 0% | - 0% | - 0% | - 0% | 215,846 44,80% | 1250 0,25% |
| Tashkent Region | 505,456 | 408,424 80,80% | - 0% | - 0% | 6924 1,36% | 780 0.15% | 23,768 4,70% | 65,560 12,97% | - 0% |
| Subtotal in Uzbekistan | 6,263,726 | 5,355,701 85,50% | 125,850 2% | 10,902 0,17% | 65,358 1,04% | 8183 0,13% | 53,558 0,85% | 642,636 10,25% | 1538 0,02% |

### Higher education

Entrance exams for public universities, commonly referred to as DTM, are administered by the State Test Center. These exams hold significant weight as they establish the cut-off points from the applicants' pool for the same program. Consequently, they serve as a sole criterion for awarding scholarships.
USAID
USAID's Early Grade Reading Assessment (EGRA) and Early Grade Math Assessment (EGMA) are supporting Uzbekistan's Ministry of Public Education by providing more precise data on student performance and evaluating proficiency in key skills. For the first time, Uzbekistan will gain standardized data on student learning outcomes through these assessments, helping to identify gaps and shape future initiatives. The EGRA and EGMA will involve a sample of over 11,000 students from grades 2 and 4 across the country, focusing on their reading and math abilities.

## Criticism
### Falling public standards

The official literacy rate is 99 percent. However, in the post-Soviet era educational standards have fallen. Funding and training have not been sufficient to effectively educate the expanding younger cohorts of the population. Between 1992 and 2004, government spending on education dropped from 12 percent to 6.3 percent of gross domestic product.
In 2006 education’s share of the budget increased to 8.1 percent. Lack of budgetary support has been more noticeable at the primary and secondary levels, as the government has continued to subsidize university students.
Between 1992 and 2001, university attendance dropped from 19 percent of the college-age population to 6.4 percent. The three largest of Uzbekistan’s 63 institutions of higher learning are in Nukus, Samarkand, and Tashkent, with all three being state funded.