President Shavkat Mirziyoyev pays special attention to development of preschool education, which is the first and important link in the system of educating younger generation. This issue was considered in detail at the meetings held on August 16 and October 19, 2017. On September 30, 2017, the President of the country signed the Decree “On measures of fundamental improvement of the management system of preschool education” and the resolution “On organization of activities of the Ministry of Preschool Education of the Republic of Uzbekistan”. Many tasks in this direction were also determined at the meetings held during the trips of the Head of the state to the regions. 

The state of preschool education institutions at places and measures on accelerating activities in the sphere were discussed at the meeting. 

At the meeting on the analysis of effectiveness of measures taken on reforming and developing preschool education system, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, comprehensively analyzing this sphere, paid attention to the smallest details that remained without due attention. 

The results of the study of the situation in Andijan, Namangan, Samarkand, Fergana and Jizzakh regions were given special attention. For example, the lack of kindergartens in 87 makhallas of Andijan region, inactivity of district khokimiyats on turning 84 kindergarten branches into full-fledged preschool institutions or transforming them into non-governmental kindergartens on the basis of public-private partnership were criticized. 

There are no separate warehouses for food storage in 200 out of 451 kindergartens operating in the region, there are not enough refrigerators, cabinets, tables and chairs. 123 kindergartens are still using imported drinking water, 71 kindergartens are not fenced, music groups of 134 kindergartens are not equipped, there are no small libraries in 420 kindergartens. 

Similar shortcomings were also observed in Namangan, Samarkand, Fergana and Jizzakh regions. 

The state allocates large amount of funds and resources for the gradual elimination of shortcomings in all regions, improving activities of preschool education institutions. In accordance with the List of investment projects approved for 2018, 60 new kindergartens will be built, 295 will be reconstructed and 176 kindergartens will be renovated at the expense of budget funds in the amount of 771 billion sums. 

At the meeting on reforming and developing preschool education system, the need was noted for approving the target list on construction, repairing and equipping state preschool education institutions, studying the material and technical condition of kindergartens, determining their need for furniture, kitchen accessories, playgrounds and sports equipment, as well as preparing documents for equipping all kindergartens of the country in the next 2 years. 

Increased incidence of poor quality preparation of design estimation documentation on construction and reconstruction of kindergartens in Uzbekistan, non-completion of construction and repair activities was criticized. 

So, last year the construction and repair activities in the kindergarten No.14 of the city of Urgench in Khorezm region was not carried out well, the connection to the engineering communications and equipment were not completed. Repairing a number of kindergartens in Mirishkor, Nishan, Kasan districts of Kashkadarya region remains unfinished. Finishing works in some kindergartens of Bukhara, Romitan, Karakul districts were not qualitatively executed, they did not receive half of the inventory. The works on improvement, fencing of gardens territories, their connection to external communication networks are not executed, as these works are not envisaged in many projects. 

Khokimiyats, the Ministry of Preschool Education and the State Committee on Architecture and Construction were given corresponding assignments for eliminating these and other shortcomings. The need was noted for providing repair and equipping of auxiliary rooms in design and estimation documentation of preschool institutions, placing kindergartens in places convenient for the population and having engineering and communication networks. Instructions were given on revising standard projects and reducing the cost of building new kindergartens.

Another important issue is expansion of non-governmental kindergartens network on the basis of public-private partnership, said Shavkat Mirziyoyev at the meeting that was held on February 14, on the analysis of effectiveness of measures taken on reforming and developing preschool education system. Appropriate commercial banks and entrepreneurs in 2018 planned to build more than 3 thousand non-governmental kindergartens, designed for 222 thousand children. Of these, 1,2 thousand will be accommodated in new buildings, 1,360 in existing buildings, and 470 will be organized as home nursery schools. 

It was noted that relevant activity has started in this area, but it is progressing slowly in the Republic of Karakalpakstan, Khorezm and Navoi regions. Due to the lack of strategic thinking and understanding of public policy among some leaders, there are cases of privatization of functioning state kindergartens and transferring them to entrepreneurs, which causes justified and serious complaints of the population. 

It was noted that it is necessary to transfer unused kindergartens to entrepreneurs with the condition of their repair and equipment. 

There are also such “businessmen” who are building illusions about how, under the pretext of opening a private kindergarten, they can get a land and a building in a good place, preferential credit, and then, after a couple of years, use a constructed or renovated building for other purposes. Therefore, the khokimiyats, when making decisions on allocation of land and building for kindergartens, and banks – on granting a loan, should provide conditions under which such buildings for at least 15-20 years should be used as kindergartens. 

A number of tasks on organization of private kindergartens on the basis of public-private partnership were defined at the meeting. 

At the meeting that was held on February 14, under the chairmanship of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, the Ministry of Finance has been instructed to establish a Fund for Development of Non-State Preschool Educational Institutions, to direct the organization’s funds for the allocation of soft loans for the acquisition, construction, reconstruction and repair of buildings and structures for private kindergartens. 

The Ministry of Preschool Education has been instructed to accelerate development of models for organization of kindergartens on the basis of public-private partnership, a draft provision that provides the rights and obligations of the state and private partner, employing qualified personnel. 

The khokimiyats and banks have been instructed to develop and approve schedules indicating specific terms of allocation of land, buildings and credits, as well as commissioning of each of more than 3 thousand private kindergartens, construction of which is planned in 2018. 

Another important issue that we must solve is organization in kindergartens of proper and high-quality nutrition for children in accordance with established norms, said President Shavkat Mirziyoyev at the meeting on reforming and developing preschool education system. 

Unfortunately, dairy products and fruits are given to children less than the approved norm, and fish products are almost not provided. 

From now on, in accordance with instructions given at the meeting, exact calculation of funds allocated for qualitative food for children, timely replacement of bed linen, provision of kindergartens with medicines and detergents will be carried out. 

The Ministry of Preschool Education and its managers at places will be personally responsible for organizing healthy and proper nutrition in kindergartens in accordance with established standards. 

The Ministry of Health will strictly take control over compliance of sanitary norms and hygiene rules when preparing food, receiving and storing food products in kindergartens. 

Only 21 percent out of almost 60 thousand educators working in the system have a higher education, 79 percent have secondary special education. 

Without proper formation of children’s thinking from a very early age, involving pedagogical personnel in the process of educating children, who know their business well, applying individual approach to each child, it will be difficult for us to bring up a harmoniously developed generation with a high intellectual potential, knowledge and spirituality in the future, said Shavkat Mirziyoyev. 

The study conducted in this direction showed that in the next 3 years the system of preschool education will need more than 47,3 thousand pedagogical personnel with higher education, including 28,3 thousand educators, defectologists, psychologists, music teachers. Therefore, starting from 2018/2019 academic year, a system of three-year bachelor’s training on “Preschool education” of the day form of education will be introduced in higher education institutions. New curricula and programs will be developed on the basis of advanced foreign experience, including the experience of leading universities in South Korea. 

Starting from the new academic year, correspondence and evening forms of bachelor’s training will also be established. Since March of this year, six-month retraining courses for pedagogical and non-special personnel of kindergartens will be organized on the basis of universities and pedagogical institutes of the regions. 

Speaking about this, the President of the country noted the need for establishing a preschool education university in Tashkent in cooperation with Bucheon University of South Korea. 

At the meeting, instructions were given on stimulating highly qualified personnel with higher education, increasing salaries of pedagogical workers of preschool education institutions. Attention was also paid to issues of strengthening the material and technical base of kindergartens for children with disabilities and physical development defects. 

Reports of responsible leaders and khokims on discussed issues were heard.