Ministry of Education condemns illegal involvement of teachers in cotton harvesting

Rumors began circulating after a post on social media alleged that teachers were being ordered to find two people per day to participate in the cotton harvest. One screenshot shared on Telegram revealed a message instructing teachers to arrange for parents from each class to gather for the harvest at 7 a.m. in front of the tax office. Another message suggested that teachers were being compelled to recruit three parents daily for the harvest, with some expressing concern about the pressure placed on them to comply.

In response to the growing concerns, the Ministry of Agriculture recently announced that the price for manually harvested cotton had been set at 2,500 UZS per kilogram. This change follows complaints from cotton workers, who had previously refused to work due to reduced compensation.

The Ministry of Preschool and School Education clarified its stance on the issue, stating that the forced involvement of teachers in the cotton harvest is illegal. The ministry emphasized its strict opposition to any form of forced labor, affirming that teachers should not be assigned duties outside their professional responsibilities.

"The ministry has established a working group consisting of anti-corruption and legal control officers to monitor and address any illegal activities. If violations are discovered, legal action will be taken through law enforcement agencies," said MPSSE spokesperson Dilfuza Sobirova.

Teachers are urged to report any cases of coercion or illegal assignments to the ministry’s hotline at (71) 202-09-09.

Uzbekistan’s law on the "Status of Pedagogues" prohibits assigning teachers tasks unrelated to their professional duties, including public works and agricultural activities.

Earlier reports had circulated online, showing cotton workers refusing to pick cotton due to the lowered payment rates. The Ministry of Agriculture acknowledged the issue and revised the payment, raising it to 2,500 UZS per kilogram, with 2,000 UZS covered by the state and 500 UZS by local clusters.

This latest development comes amid ongoing efforts to eradicate forced labor practices in Uzbekistan’s agriculture sector, particularly in cotton production, which has long been a point of international scrutiny.