He had previously stated that ineffective teachers should be dismissed and replaced with more qualified ones. “If you identify 15-20 percent of incompetent teachers, they should be fired. Yes, there is a shortage of teachers, but we can hire people from the street, for example, former journalists, offering them a decent salary of 50-60 thousand soms,” he noted.
After this, the teaching community appealed to President Sadyr Japarov for support.
“I intentionally made such a statement to draw attention to the problem and start a discussion. I am glad that it has resonated. We have a group of educators who themselves understand that they do not meet the requirements. Parents of students are aware of this too. For example, in the capital, parents are forced to transport their children across the city to enroll them in schools with quality education,” added the Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet.
He also emphasized that the requirements for the quality of education and the professionalism of teachers will be tightened in light of the upcoming salary increase.
When asked about the possibility of hiring individuals without specialized education for teaching positions, Baisalov responded that such an experimental program has been in place for several years.
“This is an international practice. Why not? Parents will be happy if English is taught by someone who knows the language. The main thing is quality, not empty diplomas. We are facing a shortage of qualified teachers in subjects like mathematics and physics. If there is a qualified engineer in a village who can teach physics or chemistry, why should we deny him this opportunity and prefer an incompetent specialist? It’s better to invite him, let him take professional development courses, and become a good teacher,” he explained.
According to the Ministry of Education, by December 2025, there will be a shortage of 761 teachers in the republic's schools.
The full interview with Edil Baisalov will be published on February 3 at 14:00.
