Dissolution of Uzbek Classes
According to the parents, the changes primarily affected schools No. 1 named after A. Fedchenko and No. 41 named after K. Abdullayev, where both Russian and Uzbek classes were functioning. Now, by the decision of the city hall, both schools will switch to teaching exclusively in Russian, and the Uzbek classes will be dissolved.“Our children have been studying here for several years, and our whole life has been connected with this school. In the middle of the year, we were informed that it would switch to Russian, and our children would be transferred to Russian classes. If we want our children to study in Uzbek, we will have to look for other schools,” shared the parents' concerns.
The city hall confirmed this information, explaining that the reorganization is aimed at optimization, as the Uzbek classes in these schools were at the initial level.
“After optimization, the quality of teaching should improve. We will attract qualified Russian-speaking teachers and organize clubs and sections,” the education department reported.
Return of Children to Schools by Place of Registration
Some parents also expressed dissatisfaction that their children, studying in the city center, are being forced to return to schools according to their place of registration.“My child was enrolled in the second grade through electronic registration when we had the opportunity to choose a school. We chose Gymnasium No. 16, where our older son studies. However, a month ago at a parents' meeting, the principal announced that the school was overloaded, and children not living in the microdistrict should be transferred,” one mother recounted.
According to her, parents were outraged that the school had previously provided available spots during registration, but now was effectively renouncing its decisions.
“The children have already studied for two quarters, got used to their teachers and classmates, and now they are being told: move to another school. Is this normal? Why does the education department first open up choices and then change the rules?” she added.
As reported by parents, the directors of schools No. 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 16, 17, and 20 have been instructed to compile lists of children living in remote villages and conduct explanatory work with their parents about the necessity of transferring children to schools by their place of residence.
Consolidation of Educational Institutions
The reorganization will also affect other educational institutions. The building of Lomonosov School has been declared emergency, and students will be temporarily transferred to Kalinin School. In turn, Kalinin School will be merged with Panfilov School.Parents of students from these schools are also dissatisfied with the decisions of the city hall.
“There are currently no vacant schools to merge. All educational institutions are either fully occupied or overloaded. Why should the problems of one school be solved at the expense of others? In some cases, it is said that children should study near their place of residence, while in others, that there are not enough places,” wonders the mother of one of the students.
Comment from the Education Department
The education department of the city hall explained to the editorial office of Kaktus.media that the initiative to transfer children to schools by their place of residence is related to safety concerns.“Schools in the city center are overloaded, and many children travel from other districts or villages. They return home late, especially in bad weather, and parents are worried that small children end up in crowded conditions. Therefore, we are conducting explanatory work on the need for children to study closer to home. As for the merger of schools, the institutions named after Panfilov and Kalinin are not overloaded and are located nearby, so the decision to merge them was made. This will not affect the quality of education,” the city hall noted.
