School clarifies incident involving teacher and May 9 celebrations

Reports circulating on social media claim that a school principal in Tashkent's Chilonzor district fired a teacher because his students wanted to sing the Soviet-era songs "Katyusha" and "Smuglyanka," and because the school allegedly failed to hold events marking the Day of Remembrance and Appreciation. The Tashkent Department of Preschool and School Education has commented on the situation.

According to the department, on May 8, a primary school teacher at a Chilonzor school attempted to conduct a celebration for the Day of Remembrance and Appreciation with his 4th-grade class during school hours, without prior approval from the administration and without conducting the scheduled mathematics lesson.

Upon learning of this, the school administration reportedly warned the teacher that such events must be held only after class and with proper coordination. The teacher was informed that taking such actions independently was inappropriate, and was asked to submit a letter of resignation if he continued to act on his own.

Furthermore, the department noted that an official spiritual and educational event commemorating the Day of Memory and Honor had already taken place at the school on May 7 with student participation.

It should be noted that earlier this week, videos circulated on social media showing young people in Tashkent who were attacked by pro-Soviet individuals while raising the Uzbek flag and singing patriotic songs on May 9. The youth had gathered in opposition to a separate rally celebrating Victory Day with Soviet flags under the “Immortal Regiment” banner.

In response, MP Alisher Kadyrov publicly addressed the provocations, condemning the use of Soviet symbols and rejecting claims made in videos circulating online, calling them slanderous.