Today, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) marked the success of its Uzbekistan Education for Excellence Program at the capstone event.

Over the past three years, the United States Government through USAID has supported the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan's educational reforms. USAID partnered with the Ministry of Preschool and School Education to implement an innovative, standards-based pedagogy that achieves better learning outcomes for students and contributes to Uzbekistan’s long-term success.

Launched in December 2019, USAID’s $29.5 million Uzbekistan Education for Excellence Program ensured students’ access to modern teaching and learning materials that will strengthen the education system as a whole, and produce students able to thrive, succeed, and reach their full potential. New curricula developed by the program supported the national shift away from rote learning towards applied, comprehensive, and systematic instructional practices. USAID also trained teachers in student-centered pedagogy, enabling them to teach critical thinking, problem-solving, and other 21st-century skills that equip students to achieve long-term success and prosperity.

USAID Mission Director Mikaela Meredith highlighted results from the program, such as development of student textbooks and teacher guides for Uzbek Language Arts, Mathematic; Information and Communication Technology and English as a Foreign Language. The program also supported the professional development of teachers and launched a digital platform for teachers to access new knowledge and learning materials.

The Ministry thanked the consortium of USAID’s implementing partners: RTI International as the lead organization, as well as Florida State University and Mississippi State University. Their shared commitment to capacity building, gender equality, social inclusion, transparency, local ownership, and sustainability made this program a success.

As USAID’s Uzbekistan Education Excellence Program comes to an end, a new chapter begins in the evolution of Uzbekistan’s education sector—one made far more optimistic by the program’s investments and improvements to the nation's education system.