As Uzbekistan celebrated Teacher’s Day, UNICEF Uzbekistan called for a teacher-led digital transformation in the country’s education system, emphasizing that teachers must remain at the heart of innovation.
Uzbekistan is home to more than 540,000 teachers in school education and 174,000 in pre-primary education, all of whom play a central role in shaping children’s learning every day.
“Teachers are the foundation of education and key drivers of change and innovation,” said UNICEF Representative Regina Castillo. “They should not be replaced by technology and AI. Rather, they have the capacity to harness technology to personalize learning, inspire creativity, and empower every child.”
In collaboration with the government of Uzbekistan, UNICEF has been supporting professional development, digital innovations, and inclusive practices across the education sector. AI-powered tools have been introduced to improve mathematics education and strengthen classroom readiness for emerging technologies.
UNICEF has also piloted digital platforms such as Eduten and Teacher Pro, which boosted learning outcomes by 17%, demonstrating how technology can enhance—rather than replace—the impact of teachers. At the preschool level, the Bolalik Akademiyasi platform has become a key resource for high-quality professional development, now accessed by nearly 40,000 educators.
To further strengthen teacher training, UNICEF supported the establishment of the Jalinga studio with the Islamic Development Bank. The facility develops AI-enabled digital and multimedia resources to support blended learning and teacher professional development.
UNICEF and the Ministry of Pre-school and School Education are working to expand training programs aligned with international standards, aiming to reach all educators nationwide over the next five years. This effort is expected to benefit more than 6.5 million school students and 2.4mn preschoolers, ensuring that digital transformation improves education for every child.
“On Teacher’s Day, we applaud the over 600,000 teachers across Uzbekistan who are the true drivers of national transformation and engines of the country’s human capital development,” Castillo added.
