Schools in Uzbekistan will not introduce mandatory school uniforms this year

In the upcoming academic year, schools in Uzbekistan will again not introduce mandatory school uniforms. The process has been postponed to the next year. Authorities have been trying to implement this since 2019.

This was reported by the head of the Department of Preschool and School Education, Azamat Kamolov.

“Currently, each school annually selects a uniform defined by its charter. So far, there has not been a strict requirement for students to wear the same uniform. Thus, this year, mandatory uniforms will also not be introduced in schools. However, in accordance with the rules of conduct for students in general education institutions, students are prohibited from wearing short trousers, T-shirts, flip-flops for boys, and tight or transparent clothing for girls, as well as various jewelry on the neck and fingers,” Kamolov noted.

Experts from the Ministry of Preschool and School Education believe that a single school uniform limits unhealthy competition among students and their parents in terms of clothing, drastically reducing the visual difference in stratification among children from families of different socio-economic categories.

Looking at the experience of foreign countries, we can see that in many countries around the world, including the United Kingdom, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Australia, Russia, India, Kazakhstan, and Tajikistan, a single uniform for schoolchildren has been introduced.

In the USA and Canada, a single school uniform is introduced in almost all private schools. In public schools, although a single uniform is not approved, dress code rules are in place.

In Japan, a single school uniform is mandatory for middle and high school students. Each school has its unique uniform. Usually, in middle school, boys wear a military-style uniform, and girls wear a sailor-style uniform.

Among the CIS countries, such as Russia, Tajikistan, and Kazakhstan, a single school uniform exists. In particular, in Russia, the issue of introducing a single school uniform is regulated by law.

Let us recall that in 2018, the government approved samples of a single school uniform. Since the 2018/2019 academic year, students have worn it voluntarily, and the mandatory introduction of the uniform was postponed for five years and moved to the 2024/2025 academic year. The date was then moved to the 2025/2026 academic year.

The text has been translated by AI. For more accurate information, please refer to the Russian version of the article.