Uzbekistan, Tashkent, Oct.1 / Trend, D.Azizov /
Uzbek President Islam Karimov praised teachers and mentors' work today in a congratulatory message to mark the Day of Teachers and Mentors, celebrated every Oct. 1 in Uzbekistan.
Karimov said that Uzbekistan has fully rejected old stereotypes and approaches in education since it gained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, and has made the further development of education policy a priority.
The country has created a national program for cadre preparation and its logical continuation, a program of school education development. It has also moved to a 12-year system of compulsory general and secondary special education.
In recent years, 1,394 vocational colleges and 142 academic lyceums, 9,772 schools, and dozens of universities have been reconstructed and repaired, 1,200 children's sports facilities have been built, and works have been conducted on construction and reconstruction of 278 schools of music and art.
"This long-term work contributes to changing the look of our towns and villages, as well as society's life as a whole, and, above all, the world view of our young people. It also contributes to the raising of their political, legal and cultural level, and serves as a solid basis for raising our country's prestige in the world," the message reads.
Karimov underlined that the country's leadership considers its most important task to be the further improvement of the new system for the material and moral support of teachers.
A large group of teachers and mentors were awarded orders, medals, and the honorary titles People's Teacher, Honored Worker of National Education and Honored Mentor of Youth of Uzbekistan by the president on the eve of the holiday.