UNICEF, the Government of Uzbekistan and the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), today emphasised the importance of quality Early Childhood Education (ECE) and acknowledged the need for sustainable investments on training quality pre-school teachers.
This emphasis was made at the inauguration of the Center of Pedagogical Excellence for Preschool Education in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. This centre is one of 11 regional centers being established within the framework of the IsDB funded project “Enhancing Access to Quality Early Childhood Education Project in the Republic of Uzbekistan” implemented in partnership with Ministry of Pre-school and School Education.
“UNICEF welcomes the investment by the Islamic Development Bank in preschool education, including teacher training. Early childhood education provides a huge return on investment for children and countries,” said UNICEF Executive Director, Catherine Russell, speaking at the inauguration of the Centre. “Teachers are at the heart of any successful education reform and their professional development is critical to achieving quality education.”
This pioneering support is timely. Research has shown that while global benefits of ECE are well documented and long-term, showing for instance that disadvantaged children who received high-quality ECE are more likely to attain more education, earn a higher income and have less interaction with the criminal justice system as adults, equally there is evidence that pre-school teachers are the least qualified.
UNICEF is the implementing partner of the IsDB-funded project “Enhancing Access to Quality Early Childhood Education Project in the Republic of Uzbekistan” TheUSD$50 million project launched in December 2023 to expand both quality and access to pre-school education, UNICEF is supporting activities ($2.3million partnership) to reform current teacher professional development at pre-school level (both pre-and-in-service).
Along with the Center in Samarkand, UNICEF, IsDB and Ministry of Preschool and School Education (MoPSE) have established five Regional Training Centers so far, while the remaining six centers will be established by 2025.
“IsDB’s support to the education sector is anchored in its strong belief that quality and inclusive learning are key to Human Capital Development. It aligns with the IsDBs Member Country Partnership Strategy (2022-26) which specifically focuses on developing human capital to support sustainable and resilient growth. With global evidence on the return of investments from early childhood education and development, IsDB is keen to support Uzbekistan’s ambition to provide all children with quality learning from early stages of their life. Our investment in this project re-affirms IsDB’s commitment to support the Government of Uzbekistan in their endeavors to improve access and quality of ECE centers through holistic investment in ECE services, improved curriculum and teacher quality. IsDB is partnering with UNICEF in supporting the Government endeavors given the long-standing role UNICEF has been playing in enhancing the ECE ecosystem", said Ali Khan, Head (OIC), Regional Hub of Almaty on the occasion of this event.
The programme compliments successes in early learning, led by the Government of Uzbekistan in recent years, resulting in a increase in pre-school coverage from 30 per cent in 2017 to 77 per cent in 2025. The work also builds on UNICEF historical support to early learning that has supported the development of Early Learning Development Standards, curriculum development and introduction of innovative blended approaches to teacher professional development.
The Regional Centers of Pedagogical Excellence offer both theory and hands-on active pedagogy with direct linkage to pre-school classroom experiences. They play an instrumental role in increasing the quality of professional development of pre-school teachers, including thorough introduction of new modern methodologies and approaches such as the use of multimedia and blended training. To date, more than 6,500 teachers and managers have benefited from the newly developed in-service training curriculum, and the entire preschool education workforce - approximately 120,000 personnel, including teachers, managers, and methodologists - will benefit from the joint IsDB-UNICEF component of the project.
"Centers of pedagogical excellence play a vital role in transforming the early childhood education system. They not only foster the professional growth of teachers but also ensure sustainable quality education for the youngest citizens of our country. We firmly believe that investing in teacher development is an investment in the future of Uzbekistan," - said Ms. Khilola Umarova, the Minster of Preschool and School Education of the Republic of Uzbekistan.
