OPEC Fund Annual Report 2024

03 | THE DELIVERY – EDUCATION

EDUCATION

Prioritizing preschool in Uzbekistan

Across Central and Southern Asia, around 18 percent of children are not enrolled at primary school, according to UNESCO — which is in breach of their fundamental human right. In 2024, the OPEC Fund provided US$70 million to the education sector in partner countries worldwide.

Samarkand has always been a highlight on the old Silk Road. Known as the “Land of the Blue Domes” for its many mosques and madrassas, Uzbekistan is now the most populous country in Central Asia. With well over 35 million people, it is home to almost half the region’s total population. Uzbekistan is also a very young country, with close to a third of the population under the age of 14 and around 10 percent under 7 years of age — facts now firmly on the government’s agenda. Uzbek leaders have worked hard in recent years to lift preschool enroll- ment from below 30 percent in 2017 to over 70 percent in 2023. Yet much more remains to be done to achieve the government’s goal of universal preschool enrollment by 2030. Joining a project co-financed by the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) and various private sponsors, the OPEC Fund has provided the Uzbek government with a US$20 million loan to set up 200 state-of-the-art preschools for almost 28,000 children in both urban and rural areas. To improve inclusion across the country, a quarter of places are reserved for children from low-income and socially vulnerable families, who are being enrolled on a priority basis. In parallel, the project is improving the quality and management of preschool education — revising curricula, materials and methodolo- gies while also reforming teacher training with a stronger focus on evidence-based approaches. Further benefits include more jobs in teaching and childcare, particularly among women, as well as long- term contributions to national human capital.

ABDULHAMID ALKHALIFA President, OPEC Fund

“The development of a modern educa- tion system is crucial for building human capacity and future economic growth. We are proud to join the Uzbek government’s efforts and support its ambitious aspira- tions to become an upper middle-income country by 2030.”