Early Childhood Education and Development
Lack of access to quality early learning is one issue of children in Uzbekistan
Only 30% of children in Uzbekistan go to preschool
Early Childhood Development (ECD) is an integral part of the joint UNICEF and government programmes on education, health, protection and communication. Access to quality ECD services, including preschool, can provide crucial support during the early years of a child’s development, while also facilitating their readiness for school. Ensuring that young children are developmentally-ready for learning is an important part of UNICEF’s educational priorities. Regional plans to increase access to quality preschool education programs are being implemented in six regions, including in Bukhara, Fergana, Djizzakh, Kashkadarya, Samarkand and the Republic of Karakalpakstan. Regional trainers have trained 2,159 preschool educators on child-centred teaching methods, while model kindergartens have enrolled an additional 2,841 children, and are now mentoring 106 neighbouring kindergartens.