UZBEKISTAN

Uzbekistan’s education system has historically followed a teacher-centered, textbook-driven model where all students are expected to learn the same material at the same pace. Data shows continuing gender disparities in early-grade literacy and numeracy, and children with disabilities are often segregated in specialized institutions. 

To secure the rights of children with disabilities, Uzbekistan’s government has set a goal in Presidential Decree 4860 that 51 percent of all schools will be inclusive by 2025.  

Funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development, the All Children Succeeding activity supports Uzbekistan’s mandate to improve training of teachers and paraprofessionals, revise education materials, update teacher-training curricula and enhance educational access for all students, including those with disabilities. 

The five-year, $25-million program will focus on improving foundational skills and inclusion from kindergarten to grade 5, initially working in 1,000 schools in Uzbekistan’s Namangan and Sirdaryo regions, with a third region to be selected in consultation with the Government of Uzbekistan during the second year of the project.  

All Children Succeeding is implemented by Creative Associates International, which leads a consortium of local and international practitioners facilitating the integration of best practices in inclusive education.  

• The American Councils for International Education provides expertise in learning assessments and English language learning.  
• Syracuse University’s Center on Disability and Inclusion brings expertise on developing and implementing training for higher education faculty to prepare future teachers to provide students with hands-on learning opportunities that promote social and emotional learning and higher-order thinking. In addition to developing contextualized teacher guides for schools incorporating Universal Design for Learning, the Center will help educators manage individualized support plans for students with disabilities and plan inclusive materials making use of assistive technologies. 
• Local partners bring expertise in disability inclusion and advocacy. The Uzbekistani social enterprise Praxis Plus advises the project to ensure the viewpoint of people with disabilities is included and engages organizations at the regional and community level. The think tank Yuksalish conducts public perception assessments and communications campaigns and facilitates community-school-government dialogues. 

Working with Uzbekistan’s government, the program will support the Government’s plans to update teaching and learning materials; strengthen pre- and in-service professional development for teachers, school leadership and experts; and support the development of policies and strategies that advance inclusive education, while working with local partners to engage parents, communities, people with disabilities, disabled people’s organizations and the media.