DEVELOPMENT OF THE PRESCHOOL EDUCATION SYSTEM IN UZBEKISTAN (1991–2025): REFORMS, CHALLENGES, AND OUTCOMES
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.55640/Keywords:
preschool education, early childhood development, education reform, Uzbekistan education system, preschool institutions, educational policy, teacher training, early learning, education accessibility, human capital development.Abstract
This article examines the development of the preschool education system in Uzbekistan between 1991 and 2025, focusing on major reforms, existing challenges, and achieved outcomes. The study analyzes policy documents, statistical data, and recent scientific literature to evaluate structural transformations in early childhood education during the post-independence period. The findings indicate that the preschool education system experienced a decline in the early years after independence but underwent significant modernization and expansion following large-scale reforms implemented after 2017. These reforms contributed to increased enrollment, improved infrastructure, and the introduction of modern pedagogical approaches. However, challenges such as regional disparities, shortages of qualified teachers, and quality assurance issues remain. The study highlights the importance of continued policy support and institutional development to ensure sustainable progress in preschool education.
Downloads
References
1.Asian Development Bank. (2022). Strengthening early childhood education in Uzbekistan. Asian Development Bank. https://www.adb.org
2.Heckman, J. J. (2021). The economics of early childhood investments. Journal of Economic Perspectives, 35(4), 27–50. https://doi.org/10.1257/jep.35.4.27
3.Mamadaminova, D. (2021). The role of preschool education in child development and analysis of the current preschool education system in Uzbekistan. International Journal of Academic Pedagogical Research, 5(6), 34–39.
4.Ministry of Preschool Education of the Republic of Uzbekistan. (2020). Concept for the development of preschool education in the Republic of Uzbekistan until 2030. Tashkent: Government of Uzbekistan.
5.Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. (2020). Education in Uzbekistan: Reform and transformation. OECD Publishing. https://www.oecd.org
6.State Committee of the Republic of Uzbekistan on Statistics. (2024). Education statistics of Uzbekistan 2023–2024. Tashkent.
7.World Bank. (2019). Building a better future: Early childhood education and care in Uzbekistan. World Bank. https://www.worldbank.org
8.Yuldashev, A., & Khodjaev, S. (2022). Educational reforms and development of early childhood education in Uzbekistan. Central Asian Journal of Education, 7(2), 45–56.
9.Ziyodullaeva, M. (2023). Institutional reforms in the preschool education system of Uzbekistan. International Journal of Educational Development, 96, 102689. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijedudev.2023.102689
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Authors retain the copyright of their manuscripts, and all Open Access articles are disseminated under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0 (CC-BY), which licenses unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided that the original work is appropriately cited. The use of general descriptive names, trade names, trademarks, and so forth in this publication, even if not specifically identified, does not imply that these names are not protected by the relevant laws and regulations.

Germany
United States of America
Italy
United Kingdom
France
Canada
Uzbekistan
Japan
Republic of Korea
Australia
Spain
Switzerland
Sweden
Netherlands
China
India