While ECCE, or pre-school education as it is referred to in Tajikistan, is mandatory, in reality the reach of ECCE services is extremely limited. In theory, a variety of ECCE services is offered by the national education system: day nursery – education and training for children between 2 months and 2 years old; kindergarten for children aged 1 – 6 years old; kindergartens for children 3-6 years old; and kindergartens of family type. Similar to other countries in Central Asia, significant disparities persist between the rural and urban areas in terms of access and quality.
Even during Soviet era, the ECCE network in Tajikistan was less developed than in other republics, with only 16% enrolment rate in 1989 (UNESCO 2008). Access to ECCE deteriorated significantly during the transition period and the civil war that followed and enrolment rates still remain alarmingly low. In 2008, only 489 ECCE establishments were functioning, a drop from 822 institutions in 1992 (Академия Образования Таджикистан. n.d.). Enrolment in ECCE has been floating around the 7% mark for the past decade (UIS n.d.). The distribution of children covered by ECCE varies depending on the region. Unsurprisingly, the capital region of Dushanbe had the highest rate of ECCE enrolment of 38% in 2007. In contrast, enrolment rates in the rural provinces of GBAO and Khatlon were considerably lower, at 4.7% and 2.4% respectively for 2007. Moreover, gender disparities are also an issue for ECCE: the gender parity index (GPI) was at 0.84 in 2010. The state does provide financial assistance for low-income families, although no statistics are available on the total amount of aid or the total number beneficiaries (UIS 2008).
The quality of ECCE services in Tajikistan is an issue of serious concern. The infrastructure of ECCEs has undergone little or no maintenance and has deteriorated considerably in light of limited financial resources. National sources estimate that only 50% of ECCEs are housed in buildings specifically designed for that purpose. As a result, poor sanitation facilities and electricity provision, as well as shortages of furniture and toys are common (UNESCO 2008). The National Curriculum for preschool institutions is designed to include: game activities; physical development games and sports classes; development of basic language skills such as speech and vocabulary training, basic writing skills and acquaintance with literature; acquaintance with the natural environment, ecology and elementary mathematical concepts and ideas; fundamentals aesthetic development in musical education, arts, crafts and design (IBE 2006). In practice however, the low quality of ECCE teaching staff undermines the effectiveness of the holistic curriculum. Only 25% of personnel have a university degree and just 10% of the teachers are ECCE specialists (UNESCO 2008).
As of 2009, all ECCE institutions in Tajikistan were of public origin. The MoE is the main body responsible for preschool education development and management. At the district level, local authorities approve the budgets for development of ECCE education and services proposed by local administrations (khukumats). The MOE is in charge of providing ECCE services for children with disabilities. It also provides funding for programmes targeting low-income families.
The key policy changes to ECCE are outlined in the National Strategy for Education Development (2006-15) and the Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (2009). In these documents, the government of Tajikistan articulates the need to expand the reach of ECCE services, particularly to vulnerable rural populations, through creating new ECCE institutions. In addition, the MoE places particular emphasis on educating parents about the importance of ECCE education to the healthy development of children (Ministry of Education 2005a). While there are currently no private ECCE establishments, provisions of private ECCE services do exist in the national legislative framework. In fact, the government of Tajikistan is trying to encourage the delivery of ECCE services by the private sector. In addition, the Ministry is exploring programmes that would assist the integration of children with disabilities in the mainstream ECCE process (Republic of Tajikistan 2007).
