This partnership between USAID and the ministry is notable for being the first national standardized assessment of this scale in Uzbekistan.

EGRA and EGMA are based on science-based models designed to assess the literacy and numeracy skills of primary school students. The EGRA and EGMA survey assesses the ability of 11,000 students in 937 public schools to speak Uzbek, Russian, Karakalpak, Kazakh, Tajik, Kyrgyz, and Turkmen, as well as Uzbek as a second language. The results of this assessment will help the ministry and its partners to make clear, informed decisions about improving the reading and math skills of Uzbek students, which are essential for them to succeed in education and become active and productive members of society and the workforce.

Emphasizing the importance of assessment, US Ambassador to Uzbekistan Daniel Rosenblum said: “We believe that investing in education is the most important thing any country can do. Investing in the younger generation means investing in the future. This project, which we are implementing in collaboration with the Ministry of Public Education, will help assess the reading and math skills of 3rd and 5th grade students across Uzbekistan. The assessment will allow to improve the curriculum in these subjects and make the right investment in the teaching of these subjects.

To date, USAID has conducted EGRA and EGMA assessment studies in more than 40 countries, and the data collected have helped these countries improve their students ’basic reading and math skills.