The deputy expressed dissatisfaction, noting that such practices are unacceptable. "Punishment should be academic, not financial. How can we expect an improvement in the education level if students simply pay for their absence?" Bekeshev said.
He pointed out that such measures are applied at BGU, KGMA, the International Medical Institute, KNU, and several other educational institutions.
According to him, the main goal of universities is to provide education, not to make money. "Higher education institutions have lost their primary mission," the deputy emphasizes, adding that sanctions should be academic.
Gulzat Isamatova clarified that the International Medical Institute, being a private educational institution, has the right to set its own fees. For other universities, the cost of education is calculated using the formula: the total contract amount is divided by the number of credits that the student must complete.
She provided an example: "If a student misses a class without a valid reason, and their contract amounts to 60,000 soms for 60 credits, then they must pay 1,300 soms for the absence."
Bekeshev also added that students are often required to provide medical certificates on the day of their absence. "How can we expect a sick student to go to the clinic for a certificate, risking infecting others?" he posed a rhetorical question.
Isamatova agreed on the necessity of applying academic sanctions, such as make-up classes, and reported the intention to create a working group to study this issue within the ministry.
