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Sherzod Abdurasulovich Karimov is the First Deputy Minister of Preschool and School Education of the Republic of Uzbekistan.

Uzbekistan is a multilingual country where education is conducted in seven languages: Uzbek, Karakalpak, Russian, Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Turkmen, and Tajik. The government's commitment to linguistic diversity is enshrined in Article 4 of the Constitution, which guarantees respect for the languages, customs, and traditions of all ethnic groups and ensures conditions for their development.

There are over 10,000 schools across Uzbekistan offering education in these languages, with a mix of monolingual and bilingual instruction models. Key policies that underpin Uzbekistan’s multilingual education system include:

• The 1989 Law on the State Language, recognizing Uzbek as the state language while ensuring linguistic rights for minorities.
• The 2020 Presidential Decree on the Development of the Uzbek Language, reinforcing language policy and promoting Uzbek nationally and internationally.
• Government efforts to ensure the availability of educational materials and resources in multiple languages, addressing both access and quality concerns.

Additionally, Uzbekistan has actively promoted the Uzbek language on the global stage, launching initiatives like the International Uzbek Language and Literature Olympiad, attracting participants from multiple countries. At the same time, the government has introduced salary incentives for certified mother tongue and literature teachers, acknowledging their role in preserving linguistic heritage.

A strong multilingual education system requires a comprehensive, evidence-based approach that ensures language is a tool for inclusion and social cohesion rather than a barrier to learning. Key levers in Uzbekistan’s approach include:

1. Mother tongue-based multilingual education (MTB-MLE): Ensuring children start their education in their home language while gradually acquiring additional languages. Uzbekistan provides early-grade instruction in seven languages, strengthening foundational literacy.
2. Teacher training and capacity building: Investing in teacher professional development to equip educators with the skills needed for multilingual pedagogy. Uzbekistan has expanded teacher training programmes to include methodologies for bilingual and multilingual instruction.
3. Inclusive curriculum and learning materials: The government is developing digital and print resources in multiple languages, ensuring that all students—regardless of their linguistic background—have equitable access to high-quality education.
4. Early childhood multilingual education: Recognizing the crucial role of early years in language acquisition, Uzbekistan has integrated multilingual approaches into preschool education. With support from UNICEF and the European Union, bilingual programmes have benefited over 3,000 children, including ethnic minorities and Afghan refugees.
5. Use of technology and digital learning platforms: The development of multilingual digital resources allows students to learn in their native language while acquiring proficiency in additional languages.

By leveraging these approaches, Uzbekistan ensures that multilingual education enhances learning outcomes while promoting national unity and inclusivity.

Uzbekistan has implemented several initiatives that could serve as models for other countries seeking to develop multilingual education systems:

• Expanding Mother Tongue-Based Education in Schools: With over 1,118 bilingual schools and schools exclusively teaching in minority languages, Uzbekistan’s model ensures both access and linguistic rights for all ethnic groups.
• Multilingual early childhood programmes: The country’s preschool education reforms, particularly the bilingual and multilingual early learning programmes, demonstrate how early exposure to multiple languages enhances later academic success.
• Targeted teacher incentives: The 50% salary increase for certified mother tongue teachers encourages high-quality instruction and could be replicated in other multilingual contexts.
• International Uzbek Language Olympiad: This competition fosters interest in minority and national languages, and similar models could be adopted globally to promote language learning.
• Leveraging digital platforms for language learning: Uzbekistan’s investment in multilingual e-learning resources ensures greater accessibility and can be adapted by other countries to enhance inclusion.

Uzbekistan remains committed to advancing multilingual education as a key pillar of national development and to further collaborating with UNESCO and international partners to promote linguistic diversity worldwide.