This article analyzes the historical and scientific impact of the "perestroika" policy implemented in the former USSR in 1985-1991 on the social life of the Uzbek SSR, in particular, on the education system. The causes and consequences of the deep socio-political and economic crisis that arose in Soviet society in the mid-1980s, the negative impact of the centralized management system and one-sided agrarian policy on the social spheres of the republic are revealed. Based on archival documents, statistical data and historical sources, the material and technical support of the education system, the involvement of students and teachers in forced labor, the decline in the quality of education and the deterioration of the socio-psychological environment are scientifically covered. The results show that the "perestroika" policy in the conditions of the Uzbek SSR was declarative in nature, failed to eliminate real socio-economic problems and further deepened the crises in the educational and social spheres. It is also argued that the social crisis that arose during this period was an important factor in the growth of national consciousness and the intensification of the processes of striving for independence. The conclusions of the study are of significant scientific importance for understanding the need to direct educational policy to human interests during the period of independence based on historical experience.

Perestroika policy, Uzbek SSR, social crisis

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