Uzbekistan to establish Agency for Vocational Education

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — Uzbekistan plans to establish an Agency for Vocational Education, while the coming year has been declared the Year of Youth Vocational Training.

This was announced during a video conference on educational reforms and future priorities. It was noted that this year 608,000 students completed the 9th grade, yet only 182,000 enrolled in vocational schools and colleges, accounting for less than one-third of graduates. Meanwhile, the country has 598 such institutions with the capacity to accommodate up to 450,000 students.

In order to attract more young people to vocational training, the President instructed the creation of a new agency and set the goal of increasing enrollment in vocational education to 50% by next year. Officials were also tasked with ensuring that every vocational school is equipped with modern training facilities that meet international standards.

Additionally, within the next month, 100 free school buses will begin operating in remote areas to transport students to educational institutions.