Up to 75% Coverage of School Transportation Costs for Children with Disabilities
Ninety Special Schools for Children with Disabilities to be Transformed into Multifunctional Schools
A recent meeting chaired by the president focused on the effectiveness of social protection efforts and priority tasks for 2025. During the meeting, it was highlighted that the enrollment of children with disabilities in preschool and school education is particularly low in certain regions of Uzbekistan.
Nationwide, there are 16,500 children with disabilities who do not attend school, 17,500 who do not attend preschool, and an additional 11,000 children studying at special boarding schools far away from their families.
In response to this issue, the Social Protection Agency, the Ministry of Preschool and School Education, and regional governors have been given directives to take action. By February 1, inclusive education groups are to be established in each district’s kindergarten. Additionally, by September 1, inclusive classrooms will be set up in 954 schools to provide education to an additional 1,800 children with disabilities.
The Social Protection Agency has also been tasked with implementing a system to cover 75% of transportation costs for children with disabilities who commute to school.
One of the key initiatives discussed during the meeting was the transformation of 90 special schools for children with mental and physical disabilities into multifunctional schools. This transformation will allow 2,000 children with disabilities to live with their families while attending schools in their local communities.
As a pilot project, a multifunctional school will be established in Tashkent starting from the new academic year. This initiative aims to provide better educational opportunities for children with disabilities and improve their overall quality of life.
