Why young professionals do not want to work at State-run schools

In Uzbekistan, once a cornerstone of societal progress, the teaching profession is in the midst of an acute crisis. Despite the critical role of educators in driving national success, the desirability of becoming a teacher has sharply declined among the younger generation, particularly in state schools. This shift threatens to undermine the quality of education and demands urgent action to restore the profession’s appeal and effectiveness.

Teacher recruitment crisis shows no signs of abating

Educational institutions are crucial drivers of a country’s prosperity and economic advancement. According to the Human Capital Theory, investing in education results in higher earnings. Therefore, it is not a secret that the teacher plays a central role as the primary knowledge source at the educational system’s highest point. Despite the importance of this profession, in Uzbekistan, particularly in state schools, the prestige and significance of this role are diminishing in the eyes of the younger generation year by year. As a result, there is a shortage of teachers, reaching 3,400 with numerous vacancies in remote regions.

Due to the lack of teachers, schools started employing individuals who still need to complete full qualifications, especially in regions far from the capital city. In response to the severe teacher shortage, approximately 10% of the more than half a million public school teachers in Uzbekistan don’t have a university degree. In October 2021, the government permitted third-year university students to teach in public schools. In contrast, only fourth-year students were previously admitted to work with children, highlights an expert, Niginakhon Uralova (2022).

State Schools are not able to provide a competitive salary

If the young generation ambitiously wants something, they achieve it. The concept of hard work leading to fair compensation should be held, but it appears somewhat unjust when considering teachers’ salaries. For this reason, young talents prefer to do something else than apply for public school jobs. Such a vital for the national future career path often earns around 2,800,000 soums (approximately $220). In contrast, other sectors like finance, information and communications, logistics, transportation, building and construction can earn up to 10,000,000 soums (around $800) and even more. We can sound very patriotic, wishing to help maintain the level of education, but at the same time, we must think first about the financial support of our families.

Nationwide, there are 10,163 public schools intended for over 5 million students, with a current attendance of 6.4 million children. This results in overcrowded classrooms, where teachers instruct 40-50 students per class, surpassing the official limit of 35 students per class as specified by regulations. Do teachers’ salaries in Uzbekistan cover this kind of workload and stress? Most likely, the answer is no.

“Cotton Teachers” as a teaching success?

It is also essential to mention that our teacher workforce should be used more effectively. Despite the 2017 law protecting educational personnel from activities such as hand cotton picking, mandatory mobilisation of the population for cotton harvesting remains a concerning issue. This practice persisted extensively during the previous cotton harvest season, creating a quandary about its prevalence in the current year since 2019. Expectations for the complete eradication of this practice have yet to be met, indicating a continued challenge in addressing this issue effectively.

The outlined earlier factors have significantly impacted the quality of education in state schools, as shown by the PISA test results. The Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) is a global evaluation that assesses the reading, mathematics, and science literacy of 15-year-old students. Uzbekistan participated in its first PISA test in 2022, comparing the performance of high school students across 81 countries in these subjects. The outcomes caused a nationwide outcry, as our ranking placed us 71st in math and 79th in both science and reading.

Contributions to future society

The waning interest of Uzbek youth in pursuing teaching roles within state schools is not just a reflection of individual choices; it is a wake-up call for our society. These young minds, who are poised to shape the future of our nation, are opting for pathways that offer more prestige and stability, leaving our classrooms vulnerable and under-resourced. We cannot afford to stand by and watch as the role of educators diminishes in importance and appeal. It is time for all of us—parents, educators, policymakers and community leaders—to come together and rally for change. Improved working conditions, funding, and support for our teachers should become the main focus of Uzbek’s political decisions. A stable professional path will secure the teacher’s capacity to inspire and educate the next generation. It is time to stand up, voice our commitment to our educators, and ensure that teaching becomes a respected and popular profession. Today’s decisions create the future for our children and country. It would be better if these decisions were wise and transformative.