Profession Available for Everyone

11.06.2010

An important and exciting time for future first graders and freshmen has begun with the first summer days. They are all awaited at educational institutions that have created excellent conditions for their comprehensive development and gaining professional skills. By the way, there are a lot of new educational directions and professions among those trained at colleges and universities.

Outcomes of reforms

Over the years of reforms in education Uzbekistan has established a wide network educational institutions of a modern standard that includes about 6,000 pre-school educational establishments, more than 9,700 schools, 1,502 secondary special vocational schools, 72 higher education institutions with advanced-training branches and departments as well as centers for out-of-school education, music and art schools and youth sports schools. We should note that 1,957 schools and 214 academic lyceums and professional colleges were constructed and redesigned in 2009 alone.

Experts say this summer there will be much less “what?”, “how?” and “why?” questions from parents and students to teachers and principals. The mechanism of implementing the norm of the law of the Republic of Uzbekistan On Education that guarantees free twelve-year education and profession to each child is already known from the last year, when the republic moved its educational system to a new formula “nine years in comprehensive school plus three years in academic lyceum or professional college”.

Each child aged 7 will enter the first grade. Ninth-year graduates will be admitted to academic lyceums or professional colleges without any exams. Only those secondary and professional institutions where the number of applications received from entrants exceeds the reception quota will make an exception. Entrants there will have to pass multi-choice tests. At the same time, each nine-year graduate can continue his or her education at an academic lyceum or professional college.

The well-organized work of continuous education system is assisted by the departments of the psychological support and professional orientation of students. As it was calculated, children have clear idea of more than 40 professions by their first school year. They are getting acquainted with various professions throughout their school years. Visits to the annual exhibition Profession is Your Future, lyceums and colleges in the open-doors days, and also consultations with the professional orientations commissions help the nine-year graduates make their final choice of profession and further educational direction. The departments of job orientation at academic lyceums and professional colleges also play an important role in the preparation of students to higher educational institutions.

Only few days left before commencements, before nine-year graduates file their papers to academic lyceums or professional colleges, and also before the start of the admission commissions.
Schools

As it was last year, this year schools expect a lot of people willing their children to enter school from the age of six. However, this is possible only with the permission of medical and pedagogical commissions, who assess the readiness of a child to attend the school. The thing is that the curriculums are designed for the seven-year-old children. In fine, experts of the commissions are to face a good piece of important work.

Competitive selection is also waiting for the second and fifth graders who want to continue their education in specialized classes or boarding schools with the advanced study of core subjects. This system was introduced last year in order to protect the health of students from overstrain and ensure the superior quality of education.

All this is of a great importance for schools to educe gifts, help each student make his or her own choice of a future profession. Ultimately, this determines the success of a student in his professional activity.

Today the major part of nine-year graduates have made their choice at the very beginning of the school year. This fact was determined in the course of a survey conducted three times during the school year by the national center for job orientation and psychological-pedagogical diagnostics of students.

Most of boys and girls who have finished their nine-year school want to become teachers and doctors or to work in the services sector. At the same time, as it is noted by the specialists, the division of students pursuing one or another profession practically coincides with the requirements in the job market.

Lyceums and colleges

Last year almost all of the 600,000 nine-year graduates continued their education in academic lyceums or professional colleges. And only 8,000 students from remote settlements preferred to stay in school. Toward the new 2010-2011 school year there will be 47 new professional colleges and academic lyceums put in service as well as 99 dormitories for secondary special vocational educational institutions, which will provide additional convenience for people in remote areas.

During the preparation of professional colleges to meet the freshmen, the Center of Specialized Secondary and Professional Education jointly with the Ministry of Labor and Social Security, the Ministry of Economy and potential employers of future graduates have reconsidered the professions and specializations to be trained in colleges. Consequently, in accordance with the suggestions of employers and forecasts of national development the list of professions this year will include horticulturist, poultry farmer, commercial agent, securities market specialist, urban development expert and others.

Universities

In compliance with the resolution of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan on the reception to the higher educational institutions of the Republic of Uzbekistan in 2010-2011 school year, 56,607 students will be admitted for pursuing their bachelor degrees and 5,856 for master’s degrees. Part-time educational departments will be organized only at the Kungrad Special Division of Tashkent Chemical Technology Institute and radio and television faculty of Tashkent Information Technologies University. Also, postgraduates will be able to study new professions this year.

Thus, the University of World Economy and Diplomacy opens this year departments of economic diplomacy and international security for master, Tashkent National Institute for Oriental Studies will train specialists in geopolitics and China’s investment activity. Besides, both universities will train bachelors in global politics.

The further reforms in the national economy have also encouraged the appearance of new professions and educational directions. Tashkent Financial Institute begins preparation of bachelors in appraisal, as well as banking and audit services. The University of National Economy of Tashkent introduces the new subject – econometrics.

Wide construction works carried out throughout the republic stimulated the demand for new professionals to be trained at the Architectural Institutes of Tashkent and Samarqand. These institutes start this year preparation of specialists in the rural architectural design and construction. Besides, the Tashkent’s institute will prepare masters in building and construction technology.

With the new specialists from architectural institutes, Tashkent National Agricultural University will also train bachelors in urban gardening and landscaping. At the same time, the major national agricultural university introduces new professions and educational directions for the agriculture. This year, the university offers viticulture, fruit and vegetable gardening courses for bachelors and agricultural marketing courses for masters.

The protection of the public from the negative impact of ecological changes and necessity in agricultural development require specialists in environmental protection. Starting this year the National University of Karakalpakstanon will prepare such specialists in masters’ department.
The national universities of Termiz, Farg’ona, Urganch, pedagogical universities of Navoi and Nukus this year start this year training specialists in social pedagogy. The Pedagogical University of Tashkent will prepare teachers of applied geography.

In addition to the national higher educational institutions, school graduates also have an opportunity to pursue higher education a the Tashkent branches of Moscow National University, Russian Business Academy, Moscow University of Gas and Oil, Westminster University, Singapore Management Development Institute and the Polytechnic University of Turin.

Employment

And those graduates of professional colleges and higher educational institutions who have decided to complete their education are already welcome at workplaces.

It should be noted, that great attention is annually paid to the job placement of graduates. This year a complex of measures is to be undertaken within the national program the Year of Comprehensively Advanced Generation. Not only the Ministry of Higher and Secondary Education, Ministry of Labor and Social Security, commercial banks take part in the realization of the program, but also such nongovernmental organizations as Kamolot, Youth Employment Assistance Center, Fund Forum, Mehr Nuri Fund and Women Assembly.

The creation of additional jobs is carried out on a systematic basis. The expansion is achieved through the development of small businesses, farms, individual entrepreneurship, launching of new and expansion of existing production facilities, development of industrial, social and market infrastructures. Graduates are also attracted to entrepreneurship activity. In particular, there is a system of micro-credit services. Today, Mikrokredit Bank offers a wide choice of micro-loans backed by property to young entrepreneurs to start new business.

A well-organized system of the purposeful preparation of specialists directly in the educational institutions also contributes to the employment. Work practice is a great help here. Often a student finds his job where he had passed work practice.