USAID Inclusive Pre-Primary Education

BACKGROUND

Tajikistan falls behind other Central Asian and lower-middle-income countries in providing learning and school readiness opportunities at the pre-primary level. The pre-primary education enrolment has only marginally improved in the last eight years, from 12.3 percent in 2015 to 15.6 percent in 2023, and only 45 percent of enrolled children are girls. These rates don’t meet the milestone of 50 percent enrollment set in the National Development Strategy 2030 of Tajikistan.

Significant urban-rural disparities persist. While 73.8 percent of Tajikistan’s population resides in rural areas, only 34.7 percent of all preschools are located in those areas, compared with 65.3 percent in urban areas. Public allocations for pre-primary education stand at only 6.6 percent of the total education budget, relying mainly on non-state funding, including contributions from parents and caregivers. By 2030, the number of children aged 3-6 is expected to rise by nearly 28 percent, from about 860,000 to 1.1 million.

The activity will assist the Government of Tajikistan to improve school readiness and pre-primary learning outcomes by providing modern, inclusive, student-centered, Tajik-appropriate early childhood education to children before starting primary school.

GOALS

Goal I: Implement inclusive, quality pre-primary education approaches, using evidence, research, and real time learning.
Goal II: Update national pre-primary curriculum to meet the individual needs of learners, including children with disabilities and children from minority ethnic languages.
Goal III: Advocate for inclusive pre-primary education within the Government of Tajikistan that is reflected in strategies and is sustainably resourced.
Goal IV: Promote participation of parents, caregivers, teachers, media, and civil society to advocate for universal, inclusive pre-primary education.

ANTICIPATED RESULTS

Key result I: Improved school readiness of children in early childhood development centers in about 20 locations.
Key Result II: Equipped early childhood education centers in about 20 locations with learning-friendly equipment, inclusive learning material, and assistive technologies.
Key Result III: Enhanced capacity of staff and education authorities at national and sub-national levels to improve school readiness and pre-primary learning outcomes
Key Result IV: Enhanced capacity of teachers to deliver child-centered pre-primary education services that meet the needs of children with disabilities and minorities.
Key Results V: Increased role of parent groups and civil society to advocate for inclusive pre-primary education.