Alternative textbooks to be created for schools in Uzbekistan

On April 5, in accordance with a decree of the Cabinet of Ministers, the regulation on creation and use of alternative textbooks for secondary schools was approved.

The regulation states that requirements for alternative textbooks will be developed by the Ministry of Public Education. The list of textbooks and methodical aids created and recommended by the ministry for the next academic year, as well as the requirements for them, will be published in the media and on the official website of the ministry one year in advance.

Also, creative groups that have expressed a desire to take part in preparation of textbooks and educational literature should submit proposals to the working body of the coordinating council of the republican educational center.

The created textbooks and teaching-methodical aids will be submitted to the working body in the form of original layouts. The original layouts will be examined by an expert group established under the ministry within two months.

Highly assessed original layouts will be submitted by the working body to obtain permission for testing to the coordination council within a week. The list of schools, where tests will be conducted, will be approved by the coordinating council within a week.

The working body will summarize the results of the test and discussion of its results by the general public within a month and submit the approval of textbooks and educational literature to the coordination council.

Alternative textbooks that have gained over 95% support will be recommended for use in schools on a voluntary basis, along with textbooks created on a rental basis.