A "real hooligan" in the textbook: An excerpt in the 5th-grade literature book sparks heated debate online

A literary excerpt in the "Literature" (Literature, Part 1) textbook intended for 5th-grade students in Uzbekistan's general education schools has sparked widespread discussion and parental objections on social media. The use of street slang, scenes of fighting, and behaviors inconsistent with moral standards in the work by writer Abdusaid Kuchimov have triggered diverse opinions among the public.

At the center of the debate are descriptions of a character as a "real hooligan" (nastoyashiy xuligan) and the portrayal of fighting and beating others as a "free show."

Details of the controversial text in the textbook: What is written?

The dialogue and sequence of events presented in the book's pages are described as follows:

• The "Real Hooligan" character: In the text, while discussing the older brother of one of the characters, he is called a "real hooligan" and is depicted arriving in a t-shirt with a picture of karate fighters to brutally beat another boy;

• Enjoying watching a fight: It is clearly shown that Oybek, one of the characters, happens upon a fight and watches someone being beaten with indifference, feeling relieved that he himself was not hit;

• The mother's reaction: The mother's response to the sentence "I enjoyed watching a free show"—saying "Well done, you've finally come to your senses. Don't get involved in such fights and brawls"—is being evaluated as encouraging indifference and selfishness;

• Street slang and literary language standards: The use of crude jargon and incomprehensible street phrases in the literature book instead of pure Uzbek literary language has been criticized by many activists.

Public and expert opinion

Opinions of social media observers on this topic have split into two sides:

• Those expressing objections: Many parents and educators believe that a 5th-grade child does not yet have an analytical worldview, and therefore, such dialogues risk teaching them indifference, fear of the strong, and accepting violence as a normal occurrence;

• Proponents of creative freedom: Another group of literary critics emphasizes that the writer sought to show the real world of children, child psychology, and their natural speech in a way free from artificiality.

Considering that every text and phrase in school textbooks has a direct impact on the upbringing of the younger generation, it is clear that a more responsible approach to the selection of texts is needed when preparing books for publication.