Erkinjon Turdimov, First Deputy Prime Minister/Education and Science Minister said on Oct. 22 the education system does not need new solutions and that existing work must be properly organized. He was speaking to journalists at an international summit in Samarkand.
“We have to put everything in its place. There is no need to implement anything new and reinvent the wheel,” Turdimov said. “The state has created all the conditions.”
He said his task is to ensure discipline and compliance with established requirements. “We will not adopt new laws. Everything is already in place,” he said.
Turdimov said education quality depends not only on teachers and government bodies but also on parents and society. He asked journalists whether they spend an hour a day on homework with their own children. “If we don’t work with our own children and keep criticizing teachers, when will teachers’ status rise?” he said.
On private education, he said non-state institutions can take on part of the state’s burden, but support should not mean giving up oversight of quality. He pledged “comprehensive support” for private operators that fully meet state standards.
Asked about possible personnel changes in provincial education departments, Turdimov said, “Replacing staff alone achieves nothing.” He said any decisions would follow a review of performance on the ground and declined to name anyone who might be replaced.
President Shavkat Mirziyoyev signed a decree on Oct. 3 merging the Ministry of Preschool and School Education and the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Innovation into a single Ministry of Education and Science.
Turdimov was appointed to his post on Oct. 9. He was previously governor of Syrdarya province. He will also coordinate government bodies and provincial leaders on education, science and healthcare.
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