Authorities set 80 percent preschool enrollment threshold for every district

It has been established that preschool enrollment in every district of Uzbekistan must not fall below 80 percent. This was announced today, September 9, during a video conference chaired by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev dedicated to the implementation of reforms in the education sector and upcoming tasks.

It was stated that during the open dialogue with entrepreneurs, incentives were announced for opening preschools in 80 districts. The need to make effective use of this mechanism to increase preschool capacity was emphasized.

In all districts of Kashkadarya, the number of preschools and schools has tripled within two years through cooperation with the private sector and foreign partners. Regional governors were instructed to study this experience.

Overall, it was set that preschool enrollment in each district must not be less than 80 percent. To achieve this, regional and district governors were tasked with identifying vacant land for auction and, together with the Ministry of Preschool and School Education, determining plans for constructing preschools wherever space is available at existing schools and kindergartens.

Officials were instructed to adopt a three-year program for establishing preschools on vacant land through public-private partnerships or with investment, to provide subsidies for new private preschools, and to introduce a mechanism for partially covering the salaries of preschool teachers.

Each year, 2,000 apartment buildings are being constructed, a quarter of them in the ’’New Uzbekistan’’ residential complexes. In the Bektemir and Yangi Hayot districts, a pilot project has been implemented to open private preschools with 100 seats on the ground floors of such buildings. It was emphasized that all district and city governors should replicate this experience in their territories.

It was further decided that the incentives previously announced for 80 districts will also be extended to entrepreneurs who open preschools on the ground floors of newly built apartment buildings. Officials were instructed to develop regulations for organizing preschools in such buildings.

It is worth noting that earlier, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev dismissed all deputy ministers of Higher Education, Science and Innovation for failing to fully grasp the essence of the ongoing reforms in the education system during this videoconference meeting.