Competition Committee Proposes Certification for Private Educational Centers
Uzbekistan's Competition Committee has proposed introducing voluntary certification and unified rules for non-governmental educational services to protect consumer rights.
The Committee for Competition Promotion and Consumer Protection in Uzbekistan has put forward a proposal to implement a voluntary certification system for private educational services. Additionally, the committee suggests creating standardized regulations for private educational organizations offering paid educational services.
According to a press release from the agency, the committee has addressed 2,070 citizen complaints concerning education over the last three years. A significant 96% of these complaints were directed at non-governmental educational institutions.
The most frequent issues raised by citizens included educational quality not meeting consumer expectations, charges for services that were not rendered, insufficient information about contract terms and refund processes, challenges in canceling fixed-term contracts, and unfulfilled promises made in advertisements.
As a result of these complaints, approximately UZS 1 billion was refunded or recalculated in favor of consumers.
The committee highlighted that the current regulatory framework for non-governmental education lacks adequate oversight and consistent requirements for paid educational services, which sometimes results in consumer rights violations.
The authority also examined international approaches to ensuring educational service quality, citing France's Qualiopi system, Switzerland's eduQua, and the Netherlands' NRTO as exemplary models for auditing and certifying private educational organizations.
To enhance the private education sector, the committee recommended introducing voluntary certification for educational services, developing guidelines for private organizations providing paid educational services, and setting minimum standards for their interactions with consumers.
The committee is confident that adopting these recommendations will elevate the quality of educational services, bolster consumer protection, encourage fair competition, and establish clear, consistent standards for all market participants.
These proposals have already been submitted to the appropriate state bodies.