This season, the academic calendar disrupted the usual order that everyone was accustomed to. After a long and exhausting third quarter, students received just one extra day off — March 6, which ended on a Sunday. On Monday, March 9, they were supposed to return to classes.
This schedule caused dissatisfaction among parents, and discussions on this topic actively developed on social media.
One mother expressed her bewilderment: "How could the schedule for the holidays be arranged like this? Won't the children experience burnout? The third quarter lasts 80 days, and the break is only for one day. We must remember that these are children, especially the little ones, who cannot cope with such a load. There are norms for proper rest," she complained.
Tests and final assessments of knowledge are usually conducted 1-2 weeks before the end of the quarter so that teachers can evaluate material comprehension and, if necessary, offer additional assignments. Grades should be entered a few days before the holidays so that the teacher can record them in the journals and discuss them with parents.
Teachers openly share their concerns.
One teacher wrote on social media: "How can we conduct tests in 22 classes and enter quarter grades in three days? Why weren't we warned in advance? Teachers are in a stressful situation, and students will need to correct their grades in a short time, which is impossible."
Teachers also noted that extending the holidays created additional difficulties. "Now, instead of calmly entering grades by March 5, we will have to work at night until February 28. All our plans are disrupted," they said.
Additionally, in the "E-Kunduluk" system, which often malfunctions, there may be further problems.
"Imagine that all teachers start entering grades at the same time. The system simply won't handle it. We will have to duplicate records in paper journals and then enter them into the electronic journal on weekends when the system is less loaded. Teachers will have to work overtime, yet they say they are reducing the workload," they add.
Educators express dissatisfaction that officials do not understand how to organize the educational process.
"Changes in the holiday schedule have created chaos for children and teachers. Decisions are made without analyzing the situation, for example, the transition to offline learning is announced at the last moment, when children barely manage to get to school in the cold," they comment.
Now teachers will have to hastily enter grades in three days, and some of them may even have to work in the summer to correct shortcomings. "At least the holidays could have been moved to March 9-15," the educators add.
The editorial team reached out to the Ministry of Education with a number of questions:
- Why was there no prior notification about the extension of the holidays so that teachers could prepare for the end of the quarter?
- Why couldn't the holiday dates be moved to March 9-15 or left as they were - a week after Nooruz?
Teachers are already questioning the exam schedule. It is important to note that almost the entire month will be lost in the educational process, as the workload is unevenly distributed: after 10 days of rest, students will have to study for 15 days before the summer holidays. Returning to the usual rhythm will be difficult, especially in the context of preparing for exams and the OPR.
However, the editorial team has not yet received answers to the questions posed.
