Preparation for the new school year: "Presidential gifts" will be delivered to schools by August 25.
The “President's Gift” set includes 12 types of school supplies, as well as a keychain featuring state symbols in honor of the 35th anniversary of Independence.
The Ministry of Preschool and School Education organized a press tour dedicated to the processes of preparing for the 2026–2027 academic year and delivering the "President's Gifts" to regions for first-grade students.
It was reported that in the new academic year, more than 6.7 million students will study in 10,225 general education schools across the republic. They will be taught by over 550,000 teachers.
This academic year, it is planned to admit more than 795,000 children to the first grade. As of August 5, 680,000 children have been admitted to schools, which constitutes 85 percent of the plan.
According to the ministry, the "President's Gift" intended for first-grade students includes 12 types of school supplies. These include a school bag, notebooks, pens, pencils and colored pencils, plasticine, watercolor paints, a sketchbook, glue, an eraser, and a pencil case. These gifts will be delivered to the regions by August 15, and to all schools according to the number of admitted students by August 25.
As noted by Erkin Murodov, head of a department at the Ministry of Preschool and School Education, special attention has been paid this year to improving the quality and durability of the gifts.
"In previous years, we conducted a survey among parents regarding the quality and durability of the 'President's Gift' given to children. Based on their feedback, special attention was paid to the quality and durability of the products, and all school supplies were checked against established standards and sanitary norms. Additionally, on the occasion of the 35th anniversary of Independence, first-grade students will also receive a keychain featuring the state symbols this year," he said.
During the press tour, comments were also made regarding the weight of student bags. According to Qahramon Almardonov, a responsible employee of the ministry, the "President's Gift" is not the sole reason for the bags becoming heavier.
"Studies have shown that some parents buy large-sized bags for their children. As a result, additional items, water bottles, as well as textbooks and exercise books not included in the daily schedule, are placed in the bag. This causes the bag to become heavier. Therefore, we ask parents to ensure that only school supplies corresponding to the daily lesson schedule are placed in their children's bags," he said.
As part of the press tour, journalists familiarized themselves with the process of packaging and dispatching school supplies to regions at the "Supply and Logistics Service" enterprise under the ministry.
Additionally, preparations for the new academic year were demonstrated using the example of general education school No. 202 in Tashkent.
At this school, it is planned that more than 1,260 students will study in the new academic year, and 175 children will be admitted to the first grade. Currently, 13 students, including 2 first-graders admitted this year, are studying in classes organized for inclusive education at the school.
For reference, students of public general education schools in Uzbekistan have been provided with textbooks free of charge since the 2022/2023 academic year.
