Kindergarten employees in Uzbekistan will receive their full salaries during temporary closures caused by extreme heat, under instructions issued by the Ministry of Preschool and School Education.
The ministry has reportedly instructed its regional departments, including those in the Republic of Karakalpakstan, Tashkent and all other regions, to ensure employees are paid in full for periods when kindergartens suspend operations because of abnormally high temperatures.
The guidance also states that parents will not be charged for days their children were unable to attend preschool because of the closures. If payment has already been made, the amount corresponding to the missed days must be deducted from the following month's fee.
The ministry said electronic attendance records will serve as the sole basis for calculating parental fees and other payments prescribed by law.
Earlier this month, extreme heat prompted the temporary closure of kindergartens across several parts of the country. Some preschools in the Republic of Karakalpakstan remained closed until 18 July, while all state-run kindergartens in Khorezm region suspended operations from 14 to 17 July. Several state-run kindergartens in Navoi region also closed for four days.
In Bukhara region, all kindergartens were closed from 15 to 20 July. Meanwhile, all public and private preschool institutions in Fergana region remained closed on 16 and 17 July, while kindergartens across Tashkent region suspended operations from 16 July until weather conditions returned to normal.
