“I submitted applications to three universities and paid 280 soms. For our family, this was a significant amount, so I had to sell my favorite guitar,” the deputy shared, reminiscing about his past.
According to him, previously the fee for taking each subject of the ORT was 200 soms, but later this amount increased to 470 soms.Bekeshev expressed concern that such expenses negatively affect low-income families. “Moreover, every family is forced to send their children to paid preparatory courses for the ORT. This creates not only a financial burden but also stress for the students. I studied the experience of many countries, including CIS states, Europe, and the USA, where funds for such tests are allocated from the state budget, and families do not incur additional expenses,” he noted.
In his opinion, despite the budget surplus, the state does not allocate money for the payment of the ORT.
“I propose to start this year. Let’s make the testing and preparation for it free, instructing the Ministry of Finance to allocate the necessary funds. We have resources in the budget, as the Ministry of Finance claims. Let’s find out exactly how much money is needed and include it in the budget,” he addressed his colleagues, adding that graduates wait a whole month for the test results, although it could be computerized.
Additionally, Bekeshev reported that he received complaints from the Uzgen district that some students are not allowed to take the ORT.
“Schools select only the top ten students to take the ORT in order to improve their ranking. This is unlawful. Educational institutions should not limit the opportunity to take the test,” the deputy emphasized.
He also expressed the opinion that the ORT should not be used as a criterion for admission to colleges after the 9th grade.
