Culture09/07/2008State program of improvement of children’s music and art schools for 2009-2014 adopted
The approved program is aimed at creation of favorable environment for development of talents and abilities of children and envisages a fundamental improvement of elementary music education in the country.
The implementation of the program covers the period of 2009-2014, during which a wide range of measures to build a modern logistics base of children’s music and art schools will be implemented. The program envisages construction of 136 new children’s music and art schools and capital reconstruction of 142 existing music schools.
A lot of attention is paid to equipping schools with musical instruments, educational and musical equipment, based on modern requirements. Besides, improvement of standards and training programs, textbooks and teaching manuals on music for both general education schools and children’s music and art schools is also planned.
The program is based on the fact that currently musical and art education is not compulsory in the educational development of children. To this day, not all parents have had the real opportunity to give their children a musical education and introduce them to art. The material base of the existing music schools does not meet the increasing demands and does not provide necessary conditions for efficient music and art teaching. More than 80% of music schools in the country are housed in adapted buildings and are insufficiently equipped with musical instruments.
Preliminary calculations show that a total of more than UZS 355 billion will be spent on the implementation of the five-year program, including UZS 240 billion for capital construction and renovation of music and art schools and UZS 115 billion for musical instruments, equipment and inventory.
The Children’s Sports Development Fund under the Ministry of Public Education has been designated as the single customer for construction and capital reconstruction. This has been done with consideration of the fact that construction and reconstruction of music and art schools will be implemented in conjunction with programs of development of general-education schools and children’s sports.
It has to be underlined that the allocated funds will be used primarily for creating a virtually new and modern material and technical base of music and art schools. While choosing construction sites, priority will be given to residential areas of the country, in order to make them maximally close to place of children’s residence, and not only in provincial centers, but primarily in rural areas.
One of the crucial elements of the program is staffing the music and art schools with highly skilled specialists, as well as their training and improving their material and moral stimulation.
Another important part of the State program is providing moral and material incentives for gifted students. Among them are benefits for payment of the education of gifted children from poor families, as well as regular national festivals and contests involving students of music and art school.