USAID to allocate $50 million for public education system of Uzbekistan

Today, September 28, a meeting was held between the Public Education Ministry of Uzbekistan and USAID representatives. Within the framework of the meeting, an agreement, contributing to the development of education, was signed by the Minister of Public Education Sherzod Shermatov, Chargé d’Affaires Alan Meltzer and USAID Central Asia Regional Deputy Mission Director Julie Southfield. 

According to the agreement, $50 million will be granted on the development of public education system in Uzbekistan within 5 years. The Minister of Public Education Sherzod Shermatov commented on the purpose of the funds and importance of the agreement.

“Main purpose of this agreement is to bring primary and secondary education to a qualitative level. This year, the first part of the fund, which is $19.5 million, will be allocated to the education system. It is envisaged that the USAID will provide us with financial support to improve the quality of education, information technology and English language teaching. With the USAID’s support, Early Grade Reading and Mathematics Assessment (EGRA and EGMA) researches will be conducted. This gives us an opportunity to assess pupils’ knowledge and help identify if there are any gaps in education,” he said.

As the Minister of Public Education added, a certain amount of money will be spent on improving the qualification of English teachers. The initiative will be implemented within the framework of the ministerial “English speaking nation” program. American partners will provide additional $5 million to the project. At the same time, experts from the US will study the methodology of teaching information technology in Uzbekistan, make their own conclusions. Also, they provide practical assistance in the introduction of modern training systems.