UNESCO supports the nationalization of the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG)4-Education 2030, by enhancing national capacities and coordination of the wide consultation processes in the country. Some of the recent outcomes, in promoting the SDG4-Education 2030 include the following:
Empowering teachers
Over 350 teachers, teacher educators, education specialists on curricula design and textbook development are prepared on Media and Information Literacy (MIL) in Uzbekistan. MIL was proposed by UNESCO in the context of the significant recent changes in the media environment and the growth of information volumes and flows. In order to successfully exist in the new media and information environment, to function successfully, and to find effective solutions to problems in all spheres of life, it is necessary to have a number of important competencies that allow one to search for information, critically evaluate it, create new content and knowledge, while using available tools and formats, as well as disseminate information and knowledge through a variety of channels. Possession of such competencies in schools opens up new opportunities for improving the quality of life. Through this project, UNESCO sensitized over 35,000 students on MIL competences, teaching and learning books on MIL in Uzbek language was prepared and disseminated to schools, MOOC on MIL was developed to engage wider audience online.
Open Educational Resource (OER) development in technical and professional education in Uzbekistan was one of UNESCO’s success stories, where 300 teachers and methodologists were prepared in developing OERs in various subject areas. In addition, an educational portal was developed to serve as repository of such OERs. The portal is enriched not only by the nationally developed content, but also complemented with good practices existing globally.
Other recent UNESCO activities in Uzbekistan include mainstreaming Gender into design, implementation and evaluation of teaching and learning and teaching ‘Life Security and safety” curricula. UNESCO has also developed related guides for teachers on “Gender-sensitive classroom teaching”, and on delivering the “Life Security and Safety” discipline.
Education Policies and Plans
UNESCO gives particular focus to supporting the country in developing feasible and evidence-based education policies and plans.
Since 2017, UNESCO has offered extensive support to the sector-wide policy and planning efforts of the Government of Uzbekistan, namely for the preparation of the Comprehensive Education Policy and Reform Study. At the request of the Prime Minister’s Office, the findings and recommendations drawn from this study, of which important input was provided by UNESCO on rapid assessment of overarching policy, legislation and system performance, were presented to concerned ministries and government agencies through a series of meetings in June 2017. One of related recent works is the National Concept of Uzbekistan on Lifelong Learning, which serves as a conception vision in transforming the education system of Uzbekistan towards achieving the SDGs. In addition, planning documents such as on ICT in Education Master Plan, and Education Sector Plan of Uzbekistan were prepared with the contribution of the Education unit.
Another significant education policy supported by UNESCO was the adoption of the Teacher’s ICT Competency Framework. This competency requirement framework for teachers was aimed at promoting wider use of ICTs in teaching practices. Based on this adopted competency framework, UNESCO has also coordinated the alignment of the teacher education curricula, as well as the assessment approaches to build and assess ICT competences. Currently, over 40 Master teachers are prepared nationwide, and ICT competency-training modules were integrated as formal and compulsory course for pre- and in-service teacher education institutions to ensure that all teachers in Uzbekistan master necessary ICT competences for teaching.