Piloting of the Program "Strong Families - Happy School" in Uzbekistan

29-30 January, Tashkent - The Ministry of Public Education of the Republic of Uzbekistan (MoPE) in cooperation with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, Regional Office for Central Asia (UNODC) and the UNODC Prevention Treatment and Rehabilitation Section, organized a new family-skills training programme called "Strong Families - Happy School." Some 25 specialists of public education will be trained to further implement the programme in 2 pilot schools in the city of Tashkent.

The programme was adapted for the national conditions of Uzbekistan in close cooperation with specialists from the Ministries of Public Education and Health, as well as the "Oila," Republican Scientific and Practical Center.

"To date, drug and crime prevention programmes supported by UNODC have contributed to the decrease of the crime rates among children in Tashkent city in 2018. We strongly believe that this new programme will also prove itself effective. - highlighted Mr. Akbar Tagaev, Head of Department of the Ministry of Public Education.

"Strong Families - Happy School" is the Uzbek adaptation of a UNODC developed programme (originally developed with the support of the U.S. State Department Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) called "Strong Families". It is a programme designed for families with children aged 8-15 years and facing stressful situations. It aims at improving parenting skills, child well-being and family mental health. This brief, light (easy-to-implement), evidence-based and open sources programme was developed by UNODC specifically for remote rural areas, as well as areas with limited resources.

"We realize that for low and middle income countries we need the programmes that can be replicated across the country and not be limited to 5000-10000 families, but to the whole country. That is why we availed this new programme that is ready to be replicated around the country - both in the cities and distant rural areas. - highlighted Ms. Ashita Mittal, UNODC Regional Representative for Central Asia.

The programme aims to form a safe, stable and caring relationship between children and their parents. It also helps to prevent the occurrence of a wide range of negative social and medical factors among children such as violence, crime and low educational attainment. The programme improves mental and physical health of children and ensures primary prevention of substance abuse. While participating in the programme, parents will have the opportunity to improve their parenting skills and learn positive family management practices.

 "By starting this programme and taking this initiative, Uzbekistan helps not only Uzbek youth but also the young people in many countries in the world. In fact, this programme utilizes the experience of the national trainers of Uzbekistan who worked with the "Strengthening Families Programme" earlier." - noted Mr. Wadih Maalouf, Global Programme Coordinator, Drug Prevention and Health Branch, UNODC Headquarters, Vienna

The launch of the "Strong Families - Happy School" programme was the next stage in the fruitful collaboration of the UNODC with the MoPE, which has been going on for more than 5 years. In the framework of joint activities, two family skills programmes were implemented, showing high efficiency. These are the Family and School Together (FAST) programme for parents and their children aged 5-10 years and the "Strengthening Family Programme for youth aged 10-14" (SFP 10-14). These programmes have been implemented at national schools since 2013. They were attended by more than 5,000 families and more than 900 public education specialists.

The "Strengthening Family Programme for youth aged 10-14" has become the basic programme for teaching family skills in the new national project called "Bakhtli Maktab", which is being implemented throughout the country.

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   please contact Mr. Borikhan Shaumarov, National Programme Manager,

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