Kindergarten gate in the Fergana Valley. Photo courtesy of yandex.com
By 2025, at least one family-based kindergarten will be established in 1,000 mahallas (communities) across Uzbekistan with high poverty rates. This directive was given by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev to the Minister of Preschool and School Education, Hilola Umarova, during a meeting on December 13.
Fifteen percent of spots in these kindergartens will be reserved for children from low-income families, with part of the tuition subsidized by the government. This initiative aims to improve living conditions and provide educational opportunities for children from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Additional opportunities will be offered to children from low-income families. Approximately 118,000 individuals will have access to courses in foreign languages, IT, and professional skills, with up to 80% of the costs covered by the state budget. In 2025, 3,500 such children will be able to attend universities on grant-based scholarships.
The meeting highlighted that 30,000 children from low-income families in Uzbekistan are currently enrolled in kindergartens, extracurricular clubs, and vocational training programs. Early Development Centers have been opened in the Taylak District of Samarkand Region and the Kasansay District of Namangan Region, providing preschool education to 4,200 children, including those from low-income families and children with disabilities. All regional hokims (administrative leaders) were instructed to study this model and implement it in every district.
