Sharp Criticism of School Education Officials by Shavkat Mirziyoyev — The Demand for Dual Education

Outdated templates in Uzbekistan's public education system, curricula disconnected from real life, and the unemployment problem among school graduates have become the most acute topics of discussion at the state level. At an expanded meeting held in Andijan region with the participation of intellectuals, neighborhood chairpersons, and industry leaders, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev harshly criticized the complacency and irresponsibility in school education: «Why are we throwing a child into the wide ocean after 11 years of schooling without teaching them a single profession or language? Where is the responsibility?! If the state builds so many schools, pays teachers' salaries, and educates a child for 11 years, yet the child fails to enter university and remains unemployed on the street, who will answer for this?».

Touching upon the experience of developed countries, the Head of State specifically noted that there, students are provided with thorough and practical knowledge in a maximum of five areas. It was also established that transitioning the school and higher education systems to a dual education format is not accidental, and the future of every student must be jointly projected by teachers and parents starting from the 7th grade. In his speech, the President called for a fundamental change in the environment, stating: «Not everyone can be Beruni, not everyone can be Khwarazmi or a mathematician! If we teach a child a profession according to their God-given talent, both the parents and the state will be satisfied».

So, how will the post-7th grade career projection system work, how will dual education save youth from unemployment, and why is it time to reduce the number of subjects in schools and shift towards quality?

«The 11-year question, the 7th-grade projection, and 5 perfect areas»: 5 main points of the President's speech

Shavkat Mirziyoyev's most important initiatives regarding the education system announced at the meeting in Andijan:

• Putting an end to the practice of «throwing into the wide ocean»: Strict accountability was demanded from officials regarding the issue of youth who study at school for 11 years without mastering a foreign language or a proper profession and remain unemployed;

• Mandatory projection after the 7th grade: It was established that school teachers and parents must jointly identify a child's interests and talents as early as the 7th grade and draw up their professional future map;

• Model of developed countries: The practice of providing deep and thorough knowledge in the 5 most essential areas, without exhausting students with dozens of secondary subjects, was promoted;

• The vital necessity of dual education: It was emphasized that a system combining theory and practice must provide youth with a specific profitable trade starting right from the school desk;

• The reality that «Not everyone can be Khwarazmi»: It was demanded to approach each child according to their abilities and natural potential, directing those who cannot pursue academic education toward early vocational training.

School Education: Comparison of the Traditional Theoretical Approach and the Practical Model Proposed by Shavkat Mirziyoyev

Analysis of existing problems in secondary education and newly introduced mechanisms:

Pedagogical and Socio-Economic Expertise: Why are 7th-grade projection and dual education important?

Conclusions of educational experts, sociologists, and labor market analysts:

• Preventing «diplomless unemployment»: Only a certain portion of the hundreds of thousands of youth graduating from school every year enter universities; the remaining vast majority faced low-paying manual labor or wandering because they lacked any certificate or trade; teaching a profession right at school sharply reduces youth crime and unemployment;

• The 7th grade — a psychological turning point: Precisely at the age of 13–14, a child begins to show inclinations toward a specific field (technology, creativity, medicine, or exact sciences); if the school psychologist and parents provide the right guidance at this moment, the child's next 4 years will not be wasted on memorizing useless subjects;

• Dual system and the «German Model»: The German education miracle is based precisely on dual education — a child studies part of the week and works and earns money at a factory, workshop, or IT company on the remaining days; if such an experience is transplanted to Uzbek schools, industrial sectors will secure a ready-made workforce;

• Psychological relief in families: The fact that a child graduates from school with a profession and starts earning money alleviates the anxieties of thousands of families and creates a healthy social environment in society.

Shavkat Mirziyoyev's sharp address marks a historic turning point in transforming Uzbek schools from mere «certificate-issuing» buildings into strategic institutions that produce specialists ready for real life.

In your opinion, how much will training school students in specific professions based on their abilities starting from the 7th grade reduce unemployment? Do you support the idea of reducing the number of subjects taught over 11 years and shifting towards teaching more languages and practical trades? Leave your comments and share this important article dedicated to the future of our education with all parents and teachers!