Uzbekistan Education Profile 2012

Although private education institutions are legally possible, all institutions for education, training, and research and development are state-run, and focus on economically important sectors. Research and development is underdeveloped. Nevertheless, the government invests heavily in the education system: The rates are above the OECD average of 5.1% (2008: approx. 6.9% 2009: estimated 7.5% of GDP). But comparatively high tuition fees, rampant corruption, and the absence of distance learning and evening classes sharply reduce access to higher education and heavily influence social disparities. Schoolchildren from rural areas and small towns are removed from school each year to help weed the cotton crops in the spring and later with the cotton harvest for a total of up to four to five months, which disrupts their academic process. This also serves to exacerbate disparities between rural and urban children in their access to education. Academic progress is further inhibited by inadequate technical and information resources, underpaid teachers, underqualified staff, a shortage of qualitatively good textbooks, insufficient equipment, insufficient gas and electricity supplies to the buildings, as well as the lack of close collaboration between educators, science and industry.