In the department, it is emphasized that the protection of teachers' rights is currently at a low level. There is no sustainable mechanism for responding to conflicts, and existing laws do not provide educators with the necessary guarantees. According to information gathered from education workers and public organizations, more than 66% of teachers face bullying or even direct threats from students and their parents. This leads to burnout and the departure of specialists from the profession. At the same time, schools do not have effective measures to influence offenders.
Another pressing issue is the conflicts between teachers and the management of educational institutions, which are often resolved without proper investigation and evidence collection, contrary to labor legislation.
Additionally, excessive bureaucracy is a sharp problem. Teachers are forced to fill out up to 46 different reports for various government bodies, including healthcare and local administrations. Many of these documents are duplicated and have no direct relation to the educational process.
To ease the burden on educators, the ministry has already canceled six types of reporting, transitioned about 80% of paper documentation to digital format, reduced the number of written reports to nine, and identified 31 forms for further digitization. The Ministry of Education emphasizes that this has freed up teachers' time for working with students, but further improvement of the situation requires legislative restrictions on the collection of unnecessary documentation.
There are also cases of unlawful inspections and demands from various authorities, as well as involving educators in duties that are not related to their professional activities, such as fundraising, purchasing, and maintenance work. According to the department, this diminishes the prestige of the profession and creates a risk of corruption.
The draft law includes accountability for:
- involving teachers in work unrelated to their professional activities;
- requiring reports and information not provided for by law;
- illegal inspections;
- imposing duties for the procurement of goods and services;
- involving teachers in external events during their main work hours.
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It is worth noting that in 2023, the Jogorku Kenesh already considered a draft law concerning punishment for insulting teachers and demonstrating disrespect from students. Initially, it was proposed to fine parents or guardians up to 2,000 soms, and in case of repeated violations, up to 5,000 soms or arrest for up to five days. However, after protests from the parent community, it was decided that parents or guardians would only receive warnings.
