REFORMS IN PRESCHOOL EDUCATION DURING THE YEARS OF INDEPENDENCE IN UZBEKISTAN

Abstract

This article examines the major reforms implemented in the sphere of preschool education in Uzbekistan during the years of independence. It analyzes the legislative, organizational, institutional, and pedagogical changes carried out from 1991 to the present, highlighting the impact of national development strategies on the modernization of early childhood education. Special attention is given to the establishment of a separate governance structure for preschool education, the introduction of new state standards, expansion of preschool coverage, public-private partnership mechanisms, digital transformation, as well as inclusive education initiatives. The article concludes that the reforms undertaken since independence have created a fundamentally new preschool education system aligned with international standards and aimed at strengthening human capital in the country.