The agreement will see NILE lead the delivery of Continued Professional Development training for English language teachers in Uzbekistan
(LONDON): Norwich Institute for Language Education (NILE) – a globally renowned teacher training division of INTO University Partnerships - has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Ministry of Preschool and School Education of the Republic of Uzbekistan to support the country’s education reform goals. The MoU was signed at the Uzbek embassy in London last month.
The signing followed a six-month pilot of a Continuing Professional Development (CPD) program, as part of a collaboration with British Council Uzbekistan, which took place in various schools across Uzbekistan. The joint venture saw NILE design and manage the CPD program with the ongoing support of British Council Uzbekistan and the Ministry at all stages.
Throughout this initial stage of the project, NILE trained, coordinated, and led a team of National CPD consultants who worked with English language teachers, school principals, and school-based CPD champions to promote, facilitate and record their individual and collaborative professional development activity over six months. The NILE team then analysed both the types of activity and its impact on teachers’ professional learning.
NILE is now preparing to launch Phase 2 of the pilot, following the pre-pilot Research Phase in 2022-23, and Phase 1 in 2023-24. Phase 2, which will run through to March 2025, will involve expanding the number of schools involved across all 17 regions of Uzbekistan and extending the CPD initiative to teachers from all subjects in the school curriculum.
During his recent visit to the country, NILE’s Director, Thom Kiddle, met with representatives from government ministries, universities, and training institutions, sharing insights about the pilot project’s success, and its objectives for the future.
The visit to Tashkent commenced with a presentation of findings from the initial stage of British Council Uzbekistan’s ‘Continuing Professional Development (CPD) in Schools’ project to the Ministry of Preschool and School Education of Uzbekistan and the English Reform Steering Group.
This was followed by two days of training with a select group of teachers who will form the second cadre of National CPD Consultants in Phase 2 of the project. These sessions were designed to equip educators with advanced skills and knowledge to support educational reform in schools across the region.
The visit also included a trip to Samarkand, where Mr Kiddle met with the founder, heads of department, and teachers from Zarmed University. He also engaged with teachers and leaders at the Samarkand State Institute of Foreign Languages, including the Faculty Dean and Head of International Relations, to discuss future collaborations and initiatives.
Upon his return to the UK, Mr Kiddle was invited to the Embassy in London by the Minister of Preschool and School Education, Khilola Umarova, and the MoU signing was witnessed by the Uzbek Ambassador to the UK, Ravshan Usmanov.
“Signing the MoU was a pivotal moment recognizing and formalizing the exciting collaboration between NILE, the Uzbek government, and educational institutes across the country – with a collective goal of supporting the development of Uzbekistan’s education system,” said Mr Kiddle. “We are honoured to have been invited to sign this memorandum and look forward to continuing our work with British Council Uzbekistan and the Ministry of Preschool and School Education.”