Uzbekistan is the state of youth. Children, teenagers and young people under the age of 25 comprise approximately 60% of the total population. Inherent in Uzbekistan's ancient heritage is love of children and care for their health, well being and education.
As early as in the 7th century the Chinese scientists and explorer, Suan Tsan, wrote that he saw 5-year old boys in Samarkand being thought how to read, write and count. Later, these children were sent out with caravans to learn business and trade.
Nowadays in our country every third child studies at the secondary school or gets trade experience at the high and secondary special schools and trade institutions. Five million children study at school, and more than a million are preparing to be school children at kindergarten level. The education of children and youth is one of the main priorities of the countries government policy. That is why the LAW of Education was adapted in June of l992, which became one of the first laws in our young sovereign state.
He essence of educational reform in Uzbekistan is to preserve the present intellectual potential of the educational system and to modify our goals and activities in order to develop individuals who are capable to build and live in a democratic civil society and a free market economy.
These reforms, however, do not only reflect nationalistic aspiration. Since securing independence, the Uzbekistan nation realized its great responsibility as citizens of the international community and as citizens of our planet. Therefore one of our main goals is to educate a healthy generation , both physically and mentally. The main principals of our new educational policy support this endeavor. Our goals are determined as the following: humanistic, democratic methods of teaching and socialization, priority to human values , national and cultural traditions, and the separation of educational institutions from the influence of political parties and social and political movements .
Considering these principals and the experiences of developed countries of the world, the Republic of Uzbekistan has recognized its main direction of educational development.
At present within the process of transformation of all the social activity and perspectives of the country development, textbooks are being renewed, new subjects are added and teaching staff is being retrained.
The working out of the new state educational standards are being completed. A great number of new types of schools are being established. These schools specialize in foreign languages, economics and in ecological problems .
Parallel to this, research work is being done on continuation of educational complex including kindergarten, high school, scientific research and retraining institutions. New methods and technologies are created rapidly based on the national and worldwide pedagogical needs. The basic principals of educational reforms in our republic are democratization and humanization.
