Palestinian children to receive free education in Uzbekistan

Palestinian children brought to Uzbekistan will be enrolled in the country’s education system. This measure is stipulated in the presidential decree “On measures to establish a system of support for a group of Palestinian citizens in Uzbekistan based on the principles of state care and compassion,” signed by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev on August 14.

According to the decree, the Ministry of Preschool and School Education will:

•  place the children of guests in state preschool institutions and schools based on their places of residence;
•  Assign deputy directors of these institutions to assist each child in adapting to the educational and upbringing process;
•  jointly with the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Innovations, carry out regular monitoring of the children’s adaptation and overall development.

Palestinians will be exempt from parental fees for childcare in state preschool institutions until January 1, 2028. Their children will be admitted to preschool institutions and schools without being placed on a waiting list, based on applications submitted through “Inson” social service centers.

Under the presidential resolution dated January 17, 2025 (No. PQ-12) “On measures to ensure employment and reduce poverty in 2025,” 100% of the costs for Palestinian children’s participation in additional education — including vocational training, information technology, and preparation for higher education — as well as their schooling in state general secondary institutions, will be covered by the state budget.

The Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Innovation will, within two months, recognize Palestinians’ educational documents — including general secondary, specialized, vocational, higher education, retraining, and advanced training — obtained abroad, without tests and free of charge.

The Ministry of Health will ensure that Palestinians are registered at family doctors’ offices, family clinics, and district (city) multidisciplinary central clinics based on their places of residence, and will provide them with referrals for medical care from the state budget, similar to those allocated to citizens from low-income families.

It should be recalled that on November 11 last year, during an extraordinary Arab-Islamic summit, President Mirziyoyev announced Uzbekistan’s readiness to provide free medical treatment for Palestinian children and women injured in the war. Later, QALAMPIR.UZ asked Deputy Minister of Health for Children’s and Women’s Affairs Elmira Bositkhanova about the country’s readiness, and she confirmed that Uzbekistan has sufficient capacity to treat Palestinian children.

On December 27, 2024, 100 wounded Palestinian children and women, along with their companions, were evacuated to Uzbekistan. According to Uzbekistan’s Ambassador to Egypt, Mansurbek Kilichev, the evacuees will remain in Uzbekistan and be provided with the necessary conditions until they return to their homeland.