Early Childhood in UNICEF, January 2021

OVERVIEW џ 662 traditional settings (57% in urban areas) reaching out to 102,175 children. џ 1,771 alternative ECE centres mainly in rural areas (77%) reaching out to 49,721 9.3 million children of 6 years of age. џ population (AoS, 2020) Total ECE budget 299.2 mln Tajik Somoni (EMIS, 2019-2020) џ 1.1% of public allocation for preschool sector out of the total state budget. џ 6% of public allocations for preschool education out of the total education budget. џ 0.34% of GDP. 73.8% lives in rural areas 21 CURRENT SITUATION SDG Target 4.2: By 2030 countries should ensure that all girls and boys have access to quality early 864,429 children childhood development, care and pre-primary education so that they are ready for primary of 3-6 years of age education. National ECE targets: By 2025 30% children of age 3-6 years old enrolled (15.9% as of 2020) (MTDP) By 2030 50% children of age 6 years old enrolled (32.4% as of 2020) (NEDS) 219,510 children of 6 years of age Required actions to achieve national Required actions to achieve national target for 3-6 y.o. (30%) by 2025: target for 6 y.o. (50%) by 2030:

1,547,905 all Option I. Traditional KG model: Option I. Traditional KG model: children < 6 years 813 additional KGs to be built for 454 additional KGs to be built for 68,234 121,983 children (150 children/KG). Set- children (150 children/KG). Up cost: 3.9 bln TJS Set-Up cost: 2.2 bln TJS

Option II. ECE centers: Option II. ECE centers: 4,879 additional ECE centers to be built 2,729 additional ECE centers to be built for 121,983 children (25 children/center). for 68,234 children (25 children/center). 84% Se-Up cost: 249 mln TJS Set-Up cost: 136 mln TJS OF CHILDREN OF 3-6 YEARS OF AGE REMAIN DEPRIVED OF ATTENDING KEY HIGHLIGHTS EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION џ 151,896 children (102,175 in traditional KG model and 49,721 in ECE centers) making SERVICES. 15.9% (age 3-6) of enrolled children in 2,433 ECE settings (1,771 ECE centers and 662 traditional KGs). џ Total enrolment increased by 1.2% from 2018-2019 school year and by 3.6% from 2015. џ Total ECE centers increased by 4.1% adding 74 new centers and traditional KGs increased by 3.9% adding 26 new settings from 2018-2019. Early Childhood Education UNICEF in Tajikistan, January 2021

ECE research evidence

Challenges Despite increased investment and focus on Early Childhood Education (ECE), the enrolment rates have stagnated at 15.9 percent, without significant change over the past five years (2014-2020). Considering limited public resource allocations, continuous demographic growth, reliance on external funding and unaffordable rates, the national target to increase ECE enrolment for children of 3-6 years of age remains challenging to achieve.

- Preschool education system offers limited services in public, alternative and private settings, which continue to rely critically on external funding collected mainly by parents. Public allocations for early childhood education is underfunded, standing at only 6 per cent out of the total education budget and 0.34% of GDP (EMIS, 2019-2020). - Over 70 % of ECE do not have required qualification to support young children’ development and learning. - Lack of collaboration between different sectors responsible for provision of services to young children leads to absence of a common vision to ensure holistic development of the child. Before the COVID-19 shock, the fiscal deficit was projected to rise to 5.2 percent of GDP in 2020 and then to stabilize to an average 4% in 2021–2022. However, after the outbreak of COVID-19, as a result of lower revenues and increased spending on health and social transfer in response to the pandemic, the overall budget deficit is now projected to rise to 7.7 percent of GDP, equivalent to about USD 612.5 million (IMF). This additional deficit might have negative impact on public allocations needed to sustain the reform of the ECE sub-sector.

Priority areas to accelerate ECE enrolment

The following priority areas are defined in the National Education Development Strategy (NEDS) 2030 and ECE national plan as key solutions to achieve the defined national target of 50% of pre- primary school age children enrolled by 2030. • Supporting district operational planning within the framework of national ECE policy targets. • Address regional inefficiencies in ECE financing including public-private partnership and harmonization of Per-Capita Formula beyond state ECE provision. • Provide policy and technical support on introducing one-year compulsory pre-primary education for all 6-year old children. • Develop ECE basic package and various media learning packages reflecting minimum requirements for provision of quality ECE services across various models. • Support to parents and caregivers to provide stimulation and early learning within the home and community; outreach and behaviour change work around responsive care; strengthening linkages between home and early education programmes in and other settings. • Support education systems to systematically measure learning outcomes of children in ECE services.

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Early Childhood Education UNICEF in Tajikistan, January 2021

National ECE enrolment (EMIS 2019-2020) Table 1. Estimated coverage to achieve national ECE 30% targets until 2025 (MTDP 2025). Region # of children in 2018 ECE coverage in Estimated ECE coverage 2019-2020 in 2025 6 y.o. 3-6 y.o. 6 y.o. 3-6 y.o. 6 y.o. (50%) 3-6 y.o. (30%) 17,542 58,193 6,849 25,895 8,771 17,428 Khatlon 81,781 331,681 23,703 34,753 40,891 99,504 Sughd 63,473 256,502 52,301 53,942 31,737 76,951 DRS 52,644 200,977 8,923 14,912 26,322 60,293 GBAO 4,070 17,076 6,294 7,844 2,035 5,123 Total 219,510 864,429 71,070 137,346 109,755 259,329 (32.4%) (15.9%) Table 2. Estimated coverage to achieve national ECE 50% target until 2030 (NEDS 2030) Region Estimated # of children in 2030 Estimated ECE coverage in 2030 6 y.o. 3-6 y.o. 6 y.o. (50%) Dushanbe 18,756 75,023 9,378 Khatlon 106,901 427,606 53,450 Sughd 82,671 330,648 41,335 DRS 64,775 259,101 32,377 GBAO 5,504 22,015 2,752 Total 278,607 1,114,429 139,303 Description and minimum estimated cost for covering one pre-primary year for all 6-year old children as part of the transition to a 12-year education system in the Republic of Tajikistan. Gradually introduce one year of pre-primary education based at schools or community facilities, while improving existing 11 year of general secondary education. Description Key Characteristics Main challenge Envisages introducing This scenario balances out Management of the transition will gradually a compulsory pre- infrastructure and operational require a balanced spread of primary year offered in costs between school premises resources between general facilities built in school and accredited community secondary educational premises or as part of based ECE centres, thereby institutions and community- accredited, community reducing the pressure on based ECE centres reviewing based ECE centres before existing educational facilities. existing normative to ensure pupils enter Grade 1. Private Public Partnerships. Curriculum review and training of teachers. Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 Year 6 Total estimated cost (mln Tajik Somoni) 77.8 547.2 663.7 669.4 760.1 1,055.8 Total estimated cost (in % of the total 1.6 10.2 11.1 10.1 10.3 12.9 estimated general government budget for the education sector) of which: operational costs (mln Tajik 57.0 129.7 212.4 289.9 373.7 489.8 Somoni) of which: setup costs (mln Tajik 20.8 417.5 451.3 379.5 386.4 566.0 Somoni) (Source: Costing report of transition to 12-year education system in Tajikistan)

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Early Childhood Education UNICEF in Tajikistan, January 2021

Advancing the ECE transformative agenda addressing COVID-19 pandemic challenges

TECHNOLOGY AND Promote alternative engagement modalities INNOVATIONS for the provision of quality content, which can supplement early learning. This include technology and innovation fostering

communication between families and preschool professionals. ALTERNATIVE MODELS

Prepare teachers to engage with families

and children outside of preschool settings.

CURRICULAR CONTENT Recognize gaps in skills and opportunities AND METHODS for blended and more progressive ways to building capacity.

Reaffirm the importance of play, outdoor ENGAGEMENT OF education, social and emotional learning, psychosocial wellbeing and soft skills. PARENTS

Reinforce the relationship between - child- parent-educator: integrate parents in the SUPPORT process of pre-primary education as true AND COMMUNITIES OF partners.

PRACTICES

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Early Childhood Education UNICEF in Tajikistan, January 2021

UNICEF ECE Programmatic focus 2021-2022

Area 1: Strengthen policy, financing and advocacy for adoption of clear regulatory framework enabling provision of affordable, inclusive and quality early learning services.

Key interventions:

. Support the effective and strategic integration of the pre-primary sub-sector within Education Sector Planning processes. . Support effective costing of ECE through adoption of financing and regulatory framework (per-capita financing and Public Private Partnerships). . Provide policy support on introducing one-year compulsory pre-primary education for all 6-year-old children.

Area 2: Strengthen ECE curriculum through capacity building of stakeholders and development of inclusive and child-friendly programmes and alternative models to ensure the most marginalized children benefit and learn. Key interventions: . Ensure availability and accessibility to alternative ECE media package (Magic Box, books) for young children and their parents to support early learning in formal settings and home- environment. . Development and institutionalization of multilingual and pedagogical approach in a national teacher training and professional development framework. Formation, support and capacity building of parents, teachers, caregivers that meet regularly to ensure pro-social, positive messages are consistent across different environments in which the young child develops. . Development of technology-based solutions to expand ECE activities through innovations and digital resources to ensure uninterrupted learning and development.

Area 3: Develop programmes to empower and build parental skills in provision of responsive care and learning for children at home.

Key interventions: . Parenting support specifically for vulnerable or marginalized parents (e.g., single mothers, etc.) with the goal of socializing young children towards peaceful attitudes and behaviours. . Development of ECE video materials to ensure open access to educational resources for parental capacity building to provide responsive care and learning to a child.

Area 4: Facilitate development of comprehensive M&E framework and tools for monitoring and assessment of learning outcomes.

Key interventions: . Design a model focusing on measurement of child development and quality learning in different ECE settings (public, alternative and community based).

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Early Childhood Education UNICEF in Tajikistan, January 2021

General ECE Statistics based on EMIS data 2019-2020

Proportion of preschool settings by regions (2019-2020) 900 797 800 700 600 500 438 400 270 300 263 203 200 140 62 90 100 56 32 13 9 3 10 6 26 0 0 3 12 0 Sughd Khatlon DRS GBAO Dushanbe

State KG ECE alternative centers Private KG Ministerial KG

Proportion of children in preschool settings (2019-2020)

50000 44507 45000 40000 35000 29647 30000 25000 20017 20000 16289 16622 15000 9320 10000 7206 6054 2079 5000 155 0 Sughd Khatlon DRS GBAO Dushanbe

State KG/Private KG/Ministerial KG ECE alternative centers

Proportion of preschool settings by urban/rural (2019-2020) 1600 1362 1400 1200 1000 800 600 376 409 400 286 200 0 Urban Rural State KG/Private KG/Ministerial KG ECE alternative centers

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Early Childhood Education UNICEF in Tajikistan, January 2021

Proportion of children in preschool settings by urban/rural (2019-2020) 100 78 80 75

60

40 25 22 20

0 Urban % Rural %

State KG/Private KG/Ministerial KG ECE alternative centers

Proportion of children in preschool settings by gender (2019-2020) 60000 56325

50000 45850

40000 27845 30000 21876 20000

10000

0 Boys Girls

State KG/Private KG/Ministerial KG ECE alternative centers

Proportion of children by nationality in traditional preschool settings (2019-2020) 40000 34776 35000 30000 28210 25000 20000 15638 15000 9547 10000 7225 5000 2054 1996 77 107 919 5 60 23 18 0 0 83 1122207 108 0 Sughd Khatlon DRS GBAO Dushanbe

Tajik Uzbek Russian Other (KRG, TRK, KZH, BEL, ARM, AZR, UKR)

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Early Childhood Education UNICEF in Tajikistan, January 2021

Proportion of children by language of instruction in traditional preschool settings (2019-2020) 40000 37812

35000

30000 24663 25000

20000 16221 15000

10000 6871 5477 4611 5000 2427 1987 1153 65 0 0 401 0 0 10 0 12 24 0 68 0 75 0 298 0 Sughd Khatlon DRS GBAO Dushanbe

Tajik Uzbek Russian Kyrgyz English

Proportion of children in traditional preschool settings by age (2019-2020) 50000 45000 43046 40000 37653 35000 28607 30000 25740 25000 20000 14736 16285 15000 9012 8755 10000 7706 6694 3686 2079 5000 1717 1790 240 0 Sughd Khatlon DRS GBAO Dushanbe

3-6 years old 6 years old all < 6 years old

Proportion of children in traditional preschool settings by vulnerability (2019-2020)

1000 791 676

500 420 409 195 220 112 47 4 43 0 Sughd Khatlon DRS GBAO Dushanbe

CwD Other (orphan, poor, neglected, with single parent)

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Early Childhood Education UNICEF in Tajikistan, January 2021

Education background of preschool staff (administrator, technical staff and teachers) in traditional preschool settings by urban and rural (2019-2020) 40 34,7 34,2 35,3 35 32,9

30 26,5 24,1 25 20 15

10 7 5,3 5 0 Higher pedagogical Higher incomplete Secondary vocational General secondary education

Urban % Rural %

Preschool teachers category in preschool settings in traditional preschools settings by urban and rural (2019-2020) 3000 2849

2500

2000 1505 1500 1206

1000 737 552 531 516 500 345 376 200 196 145 190 71 50 109 78 39 47 24 0 Sughd Khatlon DRS GBAO Dushanbe

1st category 2nd category Higher Education No category

UNICEF Tajikistan Country Office Address: Lohuti str. 5, proezd 1, Dushanbe, Tajikistan, 7340138

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