Uzbekistan's Minister of Preschool and School Education, E'zoza Karimova, stated at a press conference on April 21 that cases of teachers being forced into labor are on the rise. She emphasized that the ministry consistently opposes such initiatives.
“Reports of forced labor often emerge on social media. These situations are usually initiated by local authorities (hokimiyats) or others. Sometimes school principals or kindergarten directors are also at fault,” Karimova said.
The minister attributed the problem to insufficient legal knowledge among school administrators, who fail to inform the ministry or regional departments. “We only find out after it appears on social media,” she added.
However, Karimova noted that not all social media reports are confirmed. “Our schools have technical staff employed on a permanent basis. They can be involved in landscaping work, as this is part of their job duties,” she explained.
The press conference also addressed a widely reported case from January 2026, when teachers at School No. 37 in Buvayda district, Fergana region, were allegedly forced to work night shifts during New Year celebrations. Deputy Minister Temur Komilov acknowledged signing a related document but insisted it was directed at territorial divisions of state bodies, not schools.
“If the tasks in that letter had been carried out in all 10,200 schools, I would agree that it was addressed to educational institutions,” Komilov said. He reiterated the ministry's firm opposition to forced labor.
Deputy Minister Azizbek Turdiyev reported that an investigation found no evidence that other school directors received orders to enforce duty shifts. “Claims that the school principal was fired and reinstated are false. An acting principal was simply returned to their previous position,” Turdiyev clarified.
Earlier, Minister Karimova spoke out against collecting money from parents for school repairs. Deputy Minister Komilov stressed that teachers are not laborers to be used for construction work.
Source: www.gazeta.uz